Queen of the Heartless
by melanoradrood
Summary: This was who she was. What she was. She was an Original. The Alpha of the Originals. The most powerful being to walk the planet. She was the Queen of the Heartless, and she left fire and death wherever she went. Dark Caroline, Role Reversal, Mystic Falls gang is the Originals, Mikaelsons are present day humans. Eventually Klaroline, Kennet, Stebekah Delena, Janna, Kalijah.
1. Prologue

Stefan could clearly remember growing up in Mystic Falls. After a thousand years, his memory was still clear on even the tiniest of details. Swimming in the Falls themselves. Hiding out on every full moon. Becoming a man and hunting. The plague that killed almost everyone. The first time he saw Elena. Bonnie turning them into Vampires. He remembered it all. And now, here he was, returning, after a thousand years.

Elena had visited every few decades while she was undaggered. She always wanted to visit Tatia's grave. Poor Tatia. Her blood had saved them all, but there was nothing they could do to stop her from dying from the plague. Bonnie kept an eye on any Bennett witches that had enough power, but the Original Witch was still taking her longest rest. Tyler wanted to stay as far away from the bad memories as possible, and Jeremy's opinion didn't really matter. Damon would come with Elena, but that was about it. And Caroline...

Caroline may have been the odd one out while they were humans, but now, she did what she wanted. A thousand years of living, unable to be daggered, growing powerful. She had bedded Kings and Conquerors, had destroyed cities, and was well known among the supernaturals. Stefan was harmless compared to Caroline, and he was rather well feared as the Original Ripper. Oh yes, Caroline was the real deal. The Queen of the Vampires. And soon, the Queen of the Werewolves as well.

Stefan had finally found her. The Doppelganger. Bonnie had said she would be born soon, and he believed her. They hadn't told Caroline. She didn't need to know that the curse that had accidently been placed upon her could soon be fixed. Tyler never wanted to have the werewolf gene and was careful to never activate it, and even with the possibility of being a hybrid, he made no signal of caring. But Caroline longed for it, and would stop at nothing to begin her Hybrid Army.

And Stefan would give it to her. He had betrayed her twice in his life, both times for Elena, and now Elena was daggered in a coffin with Damon. He wouldn't betray Caroline again. He was lucky that he had only spent a total of 30 years inside of a coffin. He didn't want to return.

It was amazing how much Katherine Pierce looked JUST like Elena. It had been a thousand years since Tatia had died, leaving Elena as the only one with those Petrova looks, but seeing her now... it was scary. He had to remind himself when he saw her the first time that she was simply a doppelganger. Even still, after a thousand years, Katherine acted just like Tatia had. She was full of herself, rude, and cocky. It was amazing the girl had any friends at all.

She had herself surrounded by an interesting family. The eldest brother was a doctor that Stefan had run into once years before while taking blood bags when he was trying to hold back his ripper tendencies. Finn knew all about Vampires and even used their blood to heal his patients. The doctor's brother and the doppelganger's current boyfriend was a Vampire Hunter. The irony that was Elijah Mikaelson wasn't lost on Stefan.

Then there were the teenagers. Rebekah seemed obsessed with being the Prom Queen and Miss Mystic Falls. She was a pretty thing, but it would be interesting to see Caroline knock the spoiled girl back into place. And of course, the girl hadn't yet realized she was a witch. And Kol... If Jeremy wasn't daggered, he knew that the two would get into serious trouble together.

The most confusing of the group, however, was Klaus. He was another of the Mikaelson group that was comprised of a doctor, a hunter, and two teenagers. Klaus was the town sheriff, and carried the werewolf gene. None of his siblings had the same capability, which was odd enough. He also hadn't activated it. How a town sheriff had never killed was beyond Stefan, but this was small town America.

Stefan pulled out his cell phone and stared at it for a moment. Should he call Caroline? He didn't have the moonstone yet, nor did he have a usable Vampire and Werewolf. And Bonnie was still asleep. No, he would call Caroline later. She was busy enough in London at the moment, dealing with cleaning up Tyler's latest mess. If a dagger worked on the boy, he would have lasted less time than Jeremy did.

He should call Tyler. Tyler would be wanting back into Caroline's good graces. The first few centuries, the two of them sleeping together off and on would save him from her wrath, but not even sex would placate her anger when he created too much of a scene. Stefan had always assumed that one day Caroline and Tyler would fall for each other, but Tyler couldn't admit that Caroline was in charge, and Caroline didn't know how to love. Tyler would be willing to do anything to make Caroline forgive him, but he was also too much of a wild card. No, not Tyler, for now.

He pushed a few buttons and waited a moment, then put the phone up to his ear. After a few minutes of waiting, he heard the clear voice answering.

"Anna. You said you want to earn Jeremy's freedom? Well, I have a way for you to do it. Virginia. Mystic Falls."

He heard the girl hurriedly rushing about on the other end, agreeing to do whatever it took to get Jeremy released from his coffin and dagger. Stefan just smiled, listening. He doubted that Caroline would ever truly let Jeremy out. He caused enough problems that even Elena didn't fight the daggering of her younger brother. But of course, Anna didn't need to know that.

"And Anna? Don't tell Caroline."

* * *

****

Ideas from FadingTales and CandiceMorgans on Tumblr  
Idea Bouncers : LivingDeadBlondeGirl, A Little Blonde Distraction, drabblesinKlaroline  
Prologue Beta : suchaglamorouslie and TheDuchessofFiction  
Title Idea : TheDuchessofFiction/Kate

So, I know that I said I would update The Other Side every day, and yet it has been two with no update. I realized, once I began rewatching the Pilot, how much I hate hate hate it all centering around Elena. And this made the episode drag. I finally finished it, and I'm waiting on it to be beta'd. After that is done, it will be up. Until then...

Tumblr. TUMBLR MY PEOPLE! You want to know what's going on? Melanoradrood on Tumblr. Use it. Live it. Love it.

**Also, Ch 1 for this is already done, but I'm waiting on the Betas, and Ch 2 will be done by the end of the day. I love my idea for The Other Side, but some episodes will be, sadly, slow. You know what I'm talking about.**


	2. Chapter 1 : The Call That Starts It All

**Chapter 1 : The Call That Starts It All**

The streets of Paris were empty and dark by this time of night. Only a few dared to wander outside the safety of their homes, knowing that something did in fact go bump in the night. It had been a few blocks since she had seen anyone, but she kept going, knowing that she was drawing closer to her prey. Any other night she wouldn't be so picky, but there was something in particular she was searching for. She was not one to give up on the hunt. No, she enjoyed it. Relished in it. She savored the chase.

Her boots made no sound as she stalked along the shadows, her vampire eyes searching for a sign that she was drawing closer. Nothing moved in the night, but her ears did hear something. A light thud. A beat. A new hunt had suddenly begun.

Caroline stalked after the sound, knowing what that repetitive beat signaled. Life. Blood. Dinner. Her earlier hunt could be put on pause. She had been tracking Tyler Richardson for nearly a thousand years, and he never could hide for very long. She always found him, and he always knew to fear her wrath.

Turning a corner and standing in the shadows, she found the owner of the heartbeat. A young man was leaving a house and walking down the streets. She could smell the sex coming off his body, even from this distance. He was a bit beneath her normal meals, but she was feeling a little tinge of hunger in her gums. Why deny herself when she could take what she wanted right now?

She used her supernatural speed to flash in front of the man, and he looked up, startled, and took a step back. An easy grin set across his face as he looked her up and down. He didn't know the danger that lay behind this particular set of straight blonde hair and bright blue eyes. An easy smile set across her face, and the guy returned it.

"Wow, didn't see you there. Almost ran into you. Not that I would have minded."

Caroline's smile turned into a smirk and she turned around and walked towards a set of shadows nearby. The man followed quickly, clearly unable to resist the allure and power that radiated off of her. He tried to get her to stop, asking her her name, asking what she was doing, but Caroline kept walking, knowing that he would follow.

She turned around once she was near the shadows, and beckoned him forward with a finger. The man came to her, and she gave him an alluring smile. Her words were smooth and seductive. "What's your name?"

The man grinned and leaned against the wall that was behind Caroline's back. "Mike."

She put her lips together while giving him another smile, but then her eyes locked with his and began to dialate. The words were sickly sweet as she gave him a command. "Mike. Do not talk. Do not move. Do not scream."

Her words died off as she saw the compulsion work, and her fangs dropped while the veins around her eyes began to grow. Mike's eyes went wide, realizing that he couldn't ask her what the hell she was and he couldn't move at all. The compulsion had gone over beautifully and she just watched the fear wash over him.

"Who am I? Is that what you want to know?" She leaned forward and closed her eyes, smelling the skin along his neck. Mmmm, it was negative. She always loved any blood that was negative. There was something rare about it that always teased the senses. She pulled back from him and tongued one of her fangs. "I am Vampire."

Her teeth sunk into his neck and she sucked the blood from him, savoring the taste. He didn't move but she could tell that he was growing weak quickly as she drained him. Perhaps she was a bit more hungry than she had originally thought. The beat that had been filling her ears was slowing, and she grabbed the front of the man's shirt to hold him upright.

One of the two cell phones in her skinny jeans pocket started to vibrate and Caroline stopped in her drinking. If she answered the phone then the last of the blood would be wasted and she wouldn't get to feel his heart stop in her hand. Problem was, the phone that was signalling a call was not the one that most people used. Oh no. Only two people called this particular line.

She released her teeth and pulled the phone out at the same time. She glanced at the name on the phone then hit the answer key. "What do you want, Salvatore? You are interrupting my dinner."

The man's heart had stopped and she dropped him in disgust. Caroline ran her thumb under her lip to collect the excess blood and sucked it off. She licked her lips again, checking for any more blood, then let her fangs recede.

"Caroline, where are you?"

She began to walk down the street, sauntering really, enjoying the feeling of the warm blood rushing into her system. "Paris, love. Currently hunting down that idiot we call our friend. I am thinking of visiting my home in Barcelona after I deal with him, if you want to come join me."

She knew that Stefan wouldn't accept. He seemed to enjoy the countryside the past few centuries. Too many people around, and his ripper tendencies would surface, and nothing annoyed Caroline more than having to clean up a mess that she didn't cause.

"I'm in Mystic Falls. You need to come home."

Caroline stopped in her tracks and looked down at her phone, double checking the caller. Stefan knew better than to ask her to visit there. She had skirted around the entire area as a whole, not even visiting the capital of the baby country. She wanted nothing to do with Mystic Falls or anything that reminded her of the past.

"Very funny, Stefan. Now, what did you really call for?"

"Caroline, I am not joking. I found something. You need to awaken Bonnie and come. I have already secured a house to your standards and I think you will find this trip rather worthwhile."

She just laughed as she began walking. Of course he would have a house for her. He knew the requirements of her going to a new town. She was an Original. The most powerful Original. She had people do the ridiculous tasks for her. If Stefan chose to take care of things, then that was his wasted time. She had better things to do.

"Stefan, if you think that just securing a house for me is enough to get me to return to that particular- why do I need Bonnie?"

Her feet stopped again and she waited for his answer. There was no reason to awaken Bonnie. In fact, Bonnie had said not to wake her for at least 10 more years. She may be powerful, but even Caroline knew better than to go against the Original Witch's request.

"Caroline, she looks just like her. Acts just like her. I didn't think it was possible, but the prediction Bonnie made... It's true. There is a doppelganger. Tatia's doppelganger. You don't have to find another way. We can break the curse."

She almost dropped the phone she was holding in shock. There was no possible way that there was a doppelganger. Caroline had traced Tatia's line when they discovered the loophole and it had died out. It was why she had spent the past two centuries collecting grimoires for Bonnie to study every time she awoke. She knew that there was some other way to release her true nature and they just had yet to find it.

"I will dagger you for a millennia if you are lying to me."

"Caroline, come to Mystic Falls. See for yourself. I've already got Anna searching for the moonstone and finding a local werewolf. By the next full moon, you will be free."

Her eyes flicked up to the sky above her and stared at the moon. The moon had been full two days earlier, and by the next time it fully rose, she could call herself hybrid. She could awaken her werewolf half. Caroline would finally be released of the binds that tied her down. She could be what she had dreamed of for a thousand years.

"Call the house in Cambridge. Tell them to send Bonnie to Versailles. Now. I'll awaken her once she arrives. I have my plane with me, and we will come straight to Mystic Falls, after I find Tyler."

She could practically hear Stefan thinking on the other side. "I will not bloody desiccate him. I might just break his neck... once or twice. Tyler is the only one of us that has a family connection left to Mystic Falls and he can smell out werewolves better than the rest of you. He can earn back my trust by helping me with the sacrifice."

Stefan scoffed in the background, as if he knew that Caroline would never actually trust Tyler. It had been seven centuries since she made that mistake. Tyler could only be put into a coffin with the help of Bonnie, and Bonnie refused to do that while the rest of the group already filled coffins. Perhaps one day they could all be free, but not until she was invincible. Not until she could take down whatever threat was following them.

"I will meet you at the airport, then. Let me know what time you are landing."

Caroline hung up the phone, having nothing left to say to Stefan. She would do far worse than dagger him if he was lying to her. Of all the Originals, save for Bonnie, Stefan was the one she could rely upon the most. Only twice had he ever betrayed her, once due to his bloodlust. The other time had been because of Elena. If a doppelganger for Tatia was now involved, she knew that her trust in Stefan could only go so far. The allure of the Petrova blood would not be diminished after even a thousand years.

The pleasure of the hunt was gone now. She had a car to meet and a plane to catch. Torturing Tyler with fear would have to wait until later. She tilted her face up into a breeze and sniffed, looking for the telltale stench that seemed to radiate off of Tyler. It was a mix of women, liquor, and blood that was truly unique to him. She used to think it was amazing. Now, she only felt disgust.

Running a few blocks, she stopped again and looked around. Her ears could faintly make out the sound of his grunting. She stepped right up to the house and listened, knowing she couldn't enter. Tyler always did seem to love humans for companions. Something about knowing he was more powerful than them. Clearly, he still had issues because of her.

Caroline glanced up at the balcony and jumped to it, then kicked in the glass door. A startled Tyler had sat up on the bed and began cowering in fear. The human was also shrieking and grabbing the sheets, but Caroline didn't care. "Let me in, or I will burn this house to the ground."

Tyler was contemplating his choices, but he knew that Caroline would do as she said. She had done it many times before. He pushed the human towards her and Caroline let her eyes do the magic. Gaining entrance, Caroline stepped in.

"Thank you. Tell me, did you drink any of his blood?"

The girl shook her head no, and Caroline ripped out her heart. She ran her tongue up the palm of her hand and wrinkled her nose. O positive... how... common.

"Caroline, come on. I'm sorry. I didn't think you would be so mad about this. You told me that I was on my own."

"Bloody hell, Tyler. You cannot just compel half the Royal Family and have the Queen give you a castle. We are no longer in the 1400s. If you wanted a fucking castle for your birthday, you should have said something. I would have given you one of mine if it was so important."

Tyler glared at her and she rushed at him and sunk her hand into his chest. Caroline was glad she had rolled up the sleeves of her leather jacket before going out. She actually really liked this one. Her hand tightened around his heart, and while it wouldn't kill him, it was causing him great pain. He didn't even try to fight back. Tyler knew she was stronger.

"I should lock you in a bottomless pit for the next century for this. It took me a month to clean up your mess. You are lucky that I have a job for you. We're going back to Mystic Falls."

Tyler's eyes went wide and he went to ask her what it was, but she was too quick, yanking her hand out of his chest and snapping his neck. Tyler fell to the floor and she wiped the excess blood on his chest. Content that enough was off, she pulled out her other cell phone. She dialed a number and ordered a driver to her current location. After washing her hands, she stepped back into the bedroom and looked around for a bottle of liquor. Tyler never went anywhere without something.

She found the bottle and sighed. Tyler was an Original, and yet he was drinking cheap bourbon? No wonder she had gotten rid of him. His standards were atrocious. She found a glass and poured herself some, then glanced over to the girl's nightstand. Laying there was a half empty pack of cigarettes. She picked them up and put one in between her lips, then reached into the side of her boot and pulled out a zippo. She lit the thing, then sat back to wait for the driver.

This was one of Caroline's few guilty pleasures. She had always been told that women had no place drinking anything more than wine, but that had never stopped her from learning to appreciate every liquor that developed over the years. When tobacco had come to Europe after the "discovery" of the new world, she had adapted a taste for that as well. There was a time when smoking had been a man's activity only. She was always told it was a man's world, but at the end of the day, she was the most powerful being alive.

Her eyes flicked back to Tyler, who was still dead from the broken neck. He would awaken within the half hour, the Original blood healing him rather quickly. There was a time when the fact she was a woman hadn't mattered. It still didn't matter amongst her friends. It had never mattered to the man that would be her husband. Her father was the Alpha. So was she.

Caroline tried to deny it, but every full moon, she thought of her father. He had been so proud, the leader of the pack. In the village, he lead the Council and he was never argued with. They all knew why, even those that were human. The power that oozed off of the man was undeniable. His family had always led the werewolves of the entire region, and that power had never been disputed.

And Caroline carried that same blood. Even when she had tried to deny it. Tried to fight it. She had had no choice. Her father never forgave her when every full moon came and she didn't shift. She still remembered the beatings where he told her that no one would accept her as anything less. That she was his daughter. That she had to lead the pack as well. And yet still, Caroline had refused to kill.

It was ironic, really, that the village girl that wouldn't kill just once to become the thing her father wanted most was now one of the most feared killers in the world. The death that followed in her wake was unparalleled. And in a month's time, she would finally do what her father had always demanded. She would unlock her werewolf side.

She took another sip of her drink and looked at Tyler once more. His neck was back into place, but he was still out cold. He had been fine with her not killing. He had still respected her as his Alpha. They were going to be man and wife and yet still he knew not to test her dominance, else she would activate her werewolf gene with his death. How was it that even the man her father had hand picked for her understood her better than her own father?

She sucked down the last of her cigarette and put it out on the dead girl's body. She wouldn't mind none. The sound of a car stopping outside alerted her to the arrival of her driver and she grabbed one of Tyler's legs, then dragged him down the stairs and to the front door. She could easily pick him up, but the satisfaction she was receiving from this treatment of his body was just so lovely.

The driver had gotten out and opened her car door, then came to Caroline and picked up Tyler. The man immediately put Tyler in the trunk, as though he knew she wanted nothing to do with the currently dead original. Sitting down in the back of the limo, she grabbed her favorite bottle of scotch and took a nice long drink, washing out the filth she had been sipping earlier.

"Take me to the house. I need to gather a few things, then we will be on our way to the airport. No rush. And should Tyler wake up, just ignore it. I think he deserves a few minutes of privacy." She had, after all, not bothered dressing him.

.:| Queen of the Heartless |:.

The home that she kept in Versailles was no where near the largest, nor was it even the most grand. It was, however, the one that she appreciated the most. From Paris, she could easily travel to anywhere else in Europe. Great pieces of art covered every wall, the gardens were always kept in bloom, and the lands were large enough for her to just run. It was the only place that she could truly run free, as the entire property was spelled to keep out trespassers.

Getting out of the limo, she left Tyler behind, where he had been pounding on the trunk for ten minutes already. She was glad that it was reinforced steel in all of her vehicle's framework. She really had no patience for dealing with a temper tantrum right now.

Walking upstairs to her room, she grabbed a large pair of sweatpants and a tshirt for Tyler, knowing that neither of them wanted to have to deal with his naked self for the next few hours. Throwing them at one of the servants and telling them to get Tyler clothed but NOT let him in the house, she then went about collecting her own things.

She had been moving around for centuries, but Caroline still had a few keepsakes. While she had been wearing her father's necklace and a beaded necklace on her hunt this evening, there were three more that soon hung around her neck. She grabbed her rings from the box and slid them both into place, one on her left thumb, the other on her right middle.

Next, she grabbed a single bag and tossed in a pair of boots and a set of black pumps, another pair of jeans, and a few tops. She could buy whatever else she needed once she got there. The last thing she collected was a stack of papers that she kept in one box. While some were recent, others were older. There were drawings that Tyler had done of their families. A few photos of she and Stefan when they had still been close. Various writings she had done in her loneliness. And most of all, her sheet music. While it was all committed to memory, she still couldn't bring herself to leave it behind.

Handing her bag to a servant, Caroline went downstairs to find an enraged Tyler outside of her door. He was glaring at her, furious that she had compelled the house staff to never let anyone in unless she said to. He was stuck there wearing the clothing she had sent down to him.

"Took you long enough to get out of the trunk."

Caroline left the front entryway and went to the nearby sitting room to grab a glass of wine. Filling a tumbler full, she then grabbed the ipod that was sitting on the shelf. There was a particular song she wanted to hear that just... fit her mood. Things were changing, and she felt more powerful and alive than ever.

"Caroline, what the hell do you mean we are going to Mystic Falls? What could ever possess you to return to that god forsaken place? And why must I go?"

Tyler was yelling at her from the front door and she half considered letting him in, just so he would sit down and shut up. "If you do not stop talking, I will break your fucking neck."

That shut him up for a minute and she came across the song she was looking for. Clint Mansell filled the air..._ Lux Aeterna... Eternal Light..._ There had been a time that Kings had sworn there was a glow of light around her. Popes had claimed that the Light of God shown through her. Men had worshipped her, saying she was eternally beautiful. They had never known that what they saw was not light. What they saw was her power. There had been no light coming from her in centuries. Only darkness.

"Come on, Caroline. You can't be that mad at me. You've done far worse."

Caroline stood up from her chair and sped over to the front door, where Tyler had jumped back slightly. She threw her full glass of wine at his head and he barely ducked it. She was furious now. Why didn't he understand that they still had to keep a low profile? There was a reason why no one knew where she was at any given time.

"Seriously, Tyler? Seriously? You compelled the Queen in front of a number of witnesses. Then when people asked questions, you told them that the Queen owed you, and made her agree. You could have at least compelled the entire room, or done it when no one else was around. You brought attention to yourself, and all of us! You endangered us all!"

Tyler was looking at the ground now, sulking. Caroline ran her hand through the top of her hair, pushing it back from her face. It was like she was the only one that cared anymore. After a thousand years, they were all still alive, and somewhat together. She had done that. She had protected them. And they treated her like shit for it. Why did no one understand that she did these things for THEM?

"Care, I'm sorry-"

She flashed out the front door and grabbed Tyler by his neck. He was taller and bigger, but she lifted him easily. "Do not call me that. _Care_ died a long time ago."

She had practically spat out her nickname that her father had given her so long ago. She had allowed her friends to use it for a few centuries, but things were different. She was no longer innocent. That blonde idiot had died years ago. She could never go back to being good.

"Caroline. Why do we need to go back to Mystic Falls? You and I, we both hate that place. We aren't wolves, Caroline. We can't just go home and pretend we are part of the pack."

Her eyes started into his, and suddenly Tyler's eyes went wide. He realized then what was going on; he knew now why they were returning. While Tyler wanted nothing to do with being a werewolf, it was all she had longed for. When the call of the moon came, Tyler drowned himself in liquor while Caroline ran through the woods, wishing to shift and stretch her body as it was meant to. She was supposed to be a werewolf. And now, she could be a hybrid.

"There is a doppelganger. I mean to complete the sacrifice. You can do it with me, but if you do not, then there will not be another chance. There is only one moonstone."

Tyler nodded and she set him back down to the ground. The song had ended and Clementi came on, soft, caressing. She missed the early nineteenth century, going to parties, dancing, being carefree. During those years, whoever had followed them disappeared for a time. They had all been undaggered for a few years, save for Jeremy. Jeremy would always demand to go back into the box until they returned Anna to him, and Anna had been missing until twenty years ago.

She missed her family. She missed how close they had all once been. She missed seeing Damon and Elena sickly in love. She missed Tyler always making comments to Bonnie that made her blush and to Stefan that made him moody. She missed Stefan actually smiling. She missed Jeremy not sulking over the one girl that loved him. She missed them as a whole. And once she was invincible, she could reunite them.

A car pulled up in front of her mansion and two men got out to carry in the coffin. Tyler turned around and didn't have to ask who was inside. They all recognized the chamber that Bonnie had spelled to hold her body. Even though she was part vampire, the spirits had deemed it necessary for Bonnie to retain her magic. Every few years, Bonnie would rest for a decade or so.

Everyone assumed it was because carrying that much magic in an undead body was too much for her to handle. They thought that her undead body was dying time and again when she cast spells. Only Caroline knew the truth. She was a witch, and she missed connecting to nature. Now that she was part vampire, nature feared her. When she was in her sleep mode, however, she could communicate with the spirits. Bonnie was lonely, and only Caroline understood.

Escalla came through the speakers next and Caroline stepped out of the way to let the coffin come inside. She flipped open the lid, and laying there was an eternally radiant Bonnie. Of all them, she had killed the least. Even Elena, with her claim to morals, had shut off her emotions once or twice when the loss of her twin had been too much. Only Bonnie had clung to her humanity, as the witch part of her demanded.

She lightly touched the side of Bonnie's face and smiled. She had missed her oldest friend. She brought the girl to a sitting up position and a servant came forward. Caroline bit into the woman's wrist and held it up against Bonnie's mouth. The veins began to grow and Caroline watched the blood drip in. Bonnie's fangs grew and she unconsciously started to drink. After a few seconds, Bonnie's eyes opened and she released the woman's wrist. The girl disappeared to go bandage the bite mark.

"What year is it?" Bonnie asked, and Caroline carefully helped to lift her out of the coffin. She and Stefan were the only two that had an invitation to this particular home.

"2012, sweetheart. I'm sorry to have woken you so early, but we need to go to Mystic Falls."

Bonnie's feet had met the ground and she glanced around for a moment. Caroline knew that her friend would want a change of clothes to fit into this era a little better and started leading her up to her own room before they left for the airport.

"Why? Caroline, nothing lies in Mystic Falls for any of us but death. The spirits have warned me. This isn't a place any of us should return to."

Caroline calmed her friend as she continued helping her to walk while the blood began it's magic. They were up the stairs in no time and Caroline went ahead to her room to grab a pair of jeans and a loose top that would please the Original Witch. Bonnie changed quickly, then slid on the sandals that Caroline had tossed her last. They weren't Caroline's style, but she did try to keep a few changes of clothes for her friends in each home, in case they had to be woken.

"Stefan found something... I can't believe it's real, but-"

"The doppelganger."

Caroline nodded and looked at Bonnie, her eyes filling with hope. There was no mask to put on around her oldest friend. "I can finally unlock it, Bon. I can finally be a hybrid. Will you help me?"

Bonnie stared at her for a moment, then gave her a smile. Caroline returned it and they walked down the stairs to an impatient Tyler. Everything was going to be different, now. She was finally doing it. Unlocking her true nature. Soon, she would be the Queen of all that was supernatural.

.:| The Lone Pup |:.

Niklaus Mikaelson was reclining back with his feet propped up on his desk and a bottle of bourbon in his hand. It was already half drained, but he still didn't feel numb. That was all he wanted. Emptiness. Instead, he felt it all. He was heartbroken. He was hurt. He was furious. And it was all because of one man.

A father was supposed to love his children, no matter what. They were supposed to help them prepare for the world and care for them. Always forgive them. At least, that was what everyone else had. Not the Mikaelsons. Their father had been abusive to all of them, but mostly Klaus. When their Mother had died of suspicious circumstances, Mikael had disappeared, leaving three barely adults in charge of three kids. Now, here they were, 6 years later, and they had messed up.

Henrik had been complaining of pain for ages. Klaus had just assumed the boy was trying to get out of school. Even Finn, the doctor, had ignore the signs that were around them. But when the baby of the family hadn't woken up one morning, the oldest three felt the world come crashing around them. They had screwed up, and now Henrik was dead.

And then Mikael returned. The dirt of Henrik's grave hadn't even firmly settled yet, and the man that had terrorized them all for years reappeared. Turned out that the drunk had heard of the death of his youngest child and wanted to play the distraught father. Everyone feared him too much to stand up to him. Not even he, the Sheriff. The Mayor had simply turned a blind eye to it, and left the five remaining Mikaelson children to deal with it.

It was only Klaus that felt any wrath, though. Mikael had stormed into the Mansion they all still lived in and demanded to see "the bastard." All of them had been confused by the term, but when his eyes had flared up at the sight of his middle son, all the signs that had been there for years pointed to the truth. Klaus was not his son.

And when Mikael had started swinging at Klaus, he hadn't fought back. Kol had immediately grabbed his shrieking sister and held her back when she tried to charge forward, and Finn and Elijah both grabbed their father and pinned him to the ground. Klaus had just laid there on the ground, still shocked. Mikael had then disappeared for the past week, until tonight.

Everyone else had gone home for the evening, leaving him on the night shift alone. He had often worked the night shift so that he could be home to take Henrik to school. He could see Finn before he disappeared to the hospital. Talk with Elijah before he disappeared with Alaric. He would sleep all day, then spend the afternoon with Kol and Rebekah. With him working at night, someone was always home during the day.

Now, he didn't want to go home. His deputy had tried to get him to take a few days off, but Klaus was scared of the ghosts. His mother had haunted the halls for years, and now Henrik had joined her. When the phone rang and pulled him from his thoughts, he assumed it was old lady Fell, calling about someone sneaking around outside. The woman needed to realize that boys still snuck in and out of girl's bedrooms. And Klaus wasn't driving over there just to end a boy's good night.

"It's your fault, _boy_."

The voice on the other side of the line had haunted Klaus for years. Whereas the rest of his children were called by their names, their full names, he had always been '_boy_'. Always boy after every hateful accusation that had come his way.

"Mikael." The man wasn't his father, and he wouldn't call him such. He didn't deserve the honor.

"Why is it,_ boy_, that my youngest son dies, and I'm still stuck with your whore mother's bastard? Tell me that, _boy_."

Klaus had hung up the phone, not wanting to hear it. He had immediately dialed the house and Kol answered. The phone was then handed off to Elijah, as Finn was still at the hospital. Elijah agreed to make certain he was the one to answer the house phone the rest of the night, just in case, but Klaus knew that it was himself that Mikael blamed the most.

Mikael hadn't tried calling again. The station was completely quiet. The only sound was the swish of the bottle as Klaus tried to drown away his past.

* * *

A/N : Told you it would be up soon!  
Betas : livingdeadblondegirl, suchaglamorouslie, jesseelena, The Deej, swingklaroline  
Music Inspiration : xxwhisperofdreamsxx : Requiem of Dreams


	3. Chapter 2 : Things Have Changed

**Chapter 2 : Things Have Changed**

They had flown into Lynchburg, given that Mystic Falls was too small to have an airport, even a private one. Tyler was still sulking from having his neck broken twice during the flight and Bonnie was longing for fresh air. The sun had just been about to rise in Paris when they left, and they got to see it rise again after they had landed. Caroline let the autumn wind blow through her hair and she breathed it in deep. While she had always considered England to be her home, there was something about this smell, even with the modern stench, that took her back a thousand years.

"I still don't understand the purpose that I serve here. I don't want to shift, so why should I have to come along?"

Caroline had had enough of Tyler's muttering and Bonnie didn't even flinch when Caroline threw Tyler to the ground and put her foot over his neck. Tyler flashed up and tried to take Caroline down, but she was far stronger and threw him back down again. This time, she put some weight down on his neck. He didn't dare try to stand again.

"For starters, Tyler Richardson, I cannot trust you to roam around Europe on your own. Second of all, we are a family, and we stick together. If Bonnie and Stefan are here with me, then so should you be."

Tyler muttered under his breath 'some family' and Caroline pushed harder. She didn't want to hear his bickering. Why oh why couldn't the bloody daggers work on him? She had to find something that could be used instead of silver. He was becoming too much for even her patience to handle.

"And finally, you are required here because you left a bastard child in that slut Vicki a thousand years ago, and your line still continues. Stefan tracked them down. I need you to get me the moonstone."

Bonnie turned away, as if she wanted nothing to do with the argument. Bringing up Vicki was not something that happened often and she knew better than to interrupt Caroline during a moment like this. Tyler's eyes went wide at those words, and he bowed his head slightly, as though admitting his submission. Caroline removed her foot and started walking towards the black car that she could see waiting for them.

Vicki... as much as she hated bringing up the slut, she had been useful. Ending both the Alpha and Beta bloodlines... Both the Forbes and the Lockwood lines would have ended with them, but Tyler had been stupid enough to get a village girl pregnant first. His line, at least, had continued, and they had stayed in the area. Now, a thousand years later, she knew that the moonstone her father had held so dear would be in the keepsake of the present day Lockwoods.

She had more than just the moonstone to thank Vicki for, though. There had always been rumors of Tyler's lecherous ways, but Caroline had ignored them. They didn't really matter back then. She had no real choice with the man her father had chosen as her husband. After they had all been turned, she had continued her romance with Tyler. They had flitted out of each other's beds for a few centuries. However, once Tyler had confessed to cheating on her while human, while she had still been innocent, time again with the town whore, she had been done with him. He still scratched an itch that only another power creature could soothe on occasion, but now she was disgusted at ever giving him the time of day.

Bonnie held out her arm towards Caroline, and she accepted it, linking arms tightly. Caroline could hear Tyler behind them, muttering something under his breath, but she ignored it. He knew better than to fight her again so soon. She was quite certain that his neck was at least still a little stiff from being broken so many times.

Stefan stepped out of the car and Caroline could see out of the corner of her eye that Bonnie had a large smile on her face. Caroline released her arm and Bonnie rushed forward and jumped into a big hug with Stefan. Caroline kept walking, cooly, and stopped a few paces away. Tyler came up beside her and they watched as Stefan gave Bonnie a smile and asked her about her rest. He then helped her into the vehicle and turned back towards the remaining two Originals.

"How long has it been since you last saw him?"

Caroline's eyes almost hurt, looking at Stefan. He was wearing his typical dark button down with a jacket over it, but she was a little surprised to see him in jeans. Ever since dress pants had gone out of style, he had fought it, sticking to a business attire at all times. How much had things changed that even he was starting to wear 21st century pieces?

"Twenty-six years," she whispered in response.

Stefan wasn't looking at her. No, he was looking at Tyler. Tyler went towards him and they both offered a hand. They shook, then Stefan punched him with his free hand. Tyler reeled back from the hit the looked back at Caroline, who made no move to stop them. Stefan knew that Tyler was stronger, so why had he punched him?

"You didn't have to be a little shit and compel the Queen of England, Tyler. It's not like this was your first birthday alone."

Tyler rubbed his jaw for a moment, then punched Stefan. Stefan fell back almost to the car, but Caroline still didn't move. They both knew she was in charge, but among the men of the group, they still fought for second. Regardless of her and Tyler's past, Stefan had always been her best friend and the one she could count on.

"You could have at least fucking called."

The two of them stared at eachother, then embraced in a hug. Caroline stood watching as Tyler climbed into the limo, and then it was just she and Stefan. She stepped forward as Stefan did, and they stared for a moment. Her eyes locked with his.

"You look different."

Stefan looked down at his clothes, then glanced back up at Caroline and quirked an eyebrow. He knew that she was talking about his new pants and slightly open shirt. So unlike the posh Stefan she had grown used to. "So do you."

She nodded. The last time they had seen each other, she had been wearing a lot more leather and shown a lot more skin. But things changed. They were ageless, and yet they still changed.

"Still have your ripper tendencies under control?" Her smirk slid across her face as she watched his eyes flash in horror for a moment, and he glanced down. She just loved the way that the word 'ripper' rolled off her tongue. Of all them and their evils, it was Stefan that relished in the blood the most. It was one of the things that she loved most about him... and something that she also feared. The little bit of humanity left in Caroline feared the guilt that weighed upon Stefan's nonexistent soul every time he lost control.

"You are still a bitch, Caroline, but I have missed you."

Stefan pulled her into a hug and she smiled, enjoy it. They hugged each other tight, then walked towards the limousine. She saw that Tyler already had a bottle of liquor open and Bonnie was ignoring him. They had never been friends, even when they had all been human. It was only because of his friendship with Jeremy and Caroline that he had been turned.

Caroline slid in first, followed by Stefan, and she went all the way in, sitting with her back to the driver. The other three sat facing towards her, albeit on different sides. As if he could sense what she wanted, Stefan pulled out a glass and a bottle of expensive scotch, poured some, and handed the glass to Caroline. She nodded to him as she accepted it and took a sip.

"How long is the drive to Mystic Falls?" Bonnie asked, and Stefan turned his head slightly towards the witch. Tyler was still pouting a little, his hand held over his already healed jaw, and guzzling down whatever bottle he had grabbed. Disgusting.

"About 45 minutes."

Bonnie nodded, then rolled down the window. The fresh air came inside and Caroline sat back, far away from the window. She didn't want to smell the grass and the trees and the residual smell of werewolves. There was a reason she avoided small towns. Packs tended to stick to the countryside and smaller towns. It was painful being reminded of what she couldn't have.

"Where is Anna?"

Caroline looked over her glass as she spoke, watching Stefan. His face was cool as he looked at Caroline, and she shrugged a little, as if it mattered none. They eyed each other for a moment and Caroline shrugged again and took another sip of her liquor. She set the glass down beside her and leaned forward to pull out the pack of cigarettes she had earlier stuffed in her boots. Stefan coughed slightly as he saw her pull them out and she glared at him for a moment, then returned them to her boot.

"Anna? Jeremy's Anna? You found her?"

Caroline had forgotten for a moment that Bonnie had been asleep a few years when Anna had been discovered. Well, not really discovered. She was an unwanted pest. Better to say had begun following them again. Caroline had brushed her aside and Stefan had ignored her, but she knew that Tyler and the girl had partied together some. Anna had quickly dropped that once she realized that Tyler no longer had Caroline's favor.

"She came around about twenty years ago, claiming that she had been looking for Jeremy for years. I had no time or patience for that girl nine hundred years ago, and I still don't."

Bonnie nodded. No one in their group actually LIKED Anna. She brought out a darkness in Jeremy that bothered them all. He was the youngest of their group as Elena's little brother, and seeing the evil he performed with Anna had his side had been a bother. At the same time, he had also been his happiest with her.

"Why isn't Jeremy with us, then, if Anna has reappeared?"

Tyler's eyes immediately went wide at Bonnie's question and tried to sink down into his seat. Stefan shifted a little, suddenly appearing a bit uncomfortable at the direction of the conversation. Bonnie glanced at the two boys, not realizing what she was asking Caroline. Caroline's eyes had already blackened slightly and she glared across the space at her friend.

"Do not speak of any of THEM." She practically spat the words and Bonnie immediately shut her mouth and resumed looking out the window. Screw Stefan's desires. She reached into her boot and pulled out her smokes and lit one. The smoke filled her lungs and she relaxed slightly. The veins that had been rising to the surface receded and her eyes cleared again.

No one was looking at her now. They knew better than to fight her on this. The three that were missing had all been daggered for a reason and would remain that way until Caroline was ready for their family to reunite. Jeremy didn't want to live unless he had Anna, and with Anna he always caused too much death. Damon had caused three wars before Caroline finally put him down, and Elena had thrown a fuss over it. They had all been undaggered again for a time, but when they started to show a desire to rebel, she had returned them to their coffins.

"Anna is currently attending the local high school. She has befriended the local witch and her brother, although the witch seems powerless."

Caroline rolled her eyes and sat back. Of course, how useless of Anna. "And what do they have to do with my doppelganger?"

Stefan coughed slightly at her words, or perhaps it was the smoke, and Caroline took another large drag. She blew it out slowly, in Stefan's direction, and let her smirk slide across her face.

"Katherine is dating Elijah, their elder brother. You know, the family itself is rather interesting. The eldest brother I have actually met, Finn. He is a local doctor. And the middle brother, if you can believe this, carries the werewolf gene, unactivated."

Tyler sat forward at this. Anything werewolf interested him, regardless of how much he denied wanting to activate it. "How does only one of them carry the gene?"

Stefan shrugged. "That, I have no answer for, but he is also the Town Sheriff."

Caroline snorted into her drink as she was taking a sip. The town sheriff hadn't even killed anyone? The entire town was just waiting to be slaughtered, and after she had her sacrifice, she would kill them all, one by one. The entire town of Mystic Falls would be destroyed.

"Call Anna, and tell her to meet us at the house. I want to know everything she has to share about this family."

Stefan nodded and pulled out his phone while Caroline sat back, relaxing. Only a few weeks now, and things would change. They would be different. This threat that had been following her family for so long would have no chance against her. She would be invincible. And she would destroy anyone that stood in her way.

.:| Queen of the Heartless |:.

They pulled up to the house and Caroline had to admit that Stefan had good taste. Whereas Stefan had always been the nobleman with largest estates and grand houses in the country, she had always prefer the lavish apartments of the city. She wanted to be where the action was, surrounded by beauty, art, and music. Where the blood flowed easily.

Bonnie hopped out of the limo first and went straight to the freshly planted flowers out front. She walked past them with her hand extended over them, and everything began to bloom. The smile on her face was carefree and she twirled for a moment, enjoying the wind. For a moment, Caroline envied Bonnie and her relaxed nature. She wanted to join her and just be a young girl again, but things were already in motion that she had to help along.

Stefan stepped out next and she watched him straighten nonexistent wrinkles from his jacket. When would he ever learn to truly relax? Tyler crawled out and immediately stalked into the house, saying something about finding his own room. Caroline took the hand that Stefan extended to her and came from the vehicle last.

Her one bag was pulled from the vehicle and the two boxes of grimoires were taken in by the driver. Stefan moved to take her bag but she picked it up instead. There were too many important things in there to just hand it over. Stefan nodded to her slight move and began walking inside.

Bonnie was now walking across the grass with her nose pointed towards the forest. Her eyes were closed and she seemed to be dancing and swaying with the wind. Caroline needed her to concentrate, but a few minutes would not hurt anything. "We will be inside, love, whenever you are ready to join us."

She knew that Bonnie had heard her, although the girl made no sign of response, and Caroline followed Stefan inside. The inside was as elegant as ever. A long winding staircase, high ceilings, and a lovely fragrance of roses and blood. Stefan always did know how to please her. Every piece of furniture and decoration looked to be a few hundred years ago, from a century when they had all been happy.

Tyler was standing at the top of the stairs looking around. "Oy, which one is my room?"

Stefan opened his mouth to answer but Caroline spat out, "Mutts sleep outside, Richardson."

Tyler picked up a vase from the table at the top of the stairs and hurled it at Caroline's head. Stefan flashed forward and grabbed it, then held it close to himself. "This is one of a kind."

The two men stared each other down as Stefan walked up the stairs and set the vase back down. He then towards to the right at the top of the stairs. "The first door on the left is your room. The one across from yours is Bonnie's, if you will so direct her when she comes in?"

Tyler stomped off to his room and Caroline let a smirk grow across her face. "Now remind me, love, why is it that Tyler is allowed to roam free? While a dagger does not work, we could always just dessicate him. He could be kept in a coffin for as long as we chose. No more dealing with his temper tantrums!"

Stefan didn't find that amusing at all and kept a frown on his face while Caroline continued up the stairs. "Oh yes, that's right. You forbid me from putting down anymore of our friends and convinced Bonnie that I was being paranoid. Imagine if we did not have to constantly clean up after Tyler?"

She was now standing on the top step beside him, but still had to look up at him. Stefan was much taller than she, but the way she looked at him would have made it appear the other way around. Stefan looked away from her and didn't say a word. She stepped forward and lightly patted him on the shoulder.

"Nevermind about that, sweetheart. We will all be reunited again, soon enough."

Stefan kept looking away from her but started walking down the hallway away from Tyler's room. She followed him, knowing that he was leading her to her rooms. It had always been an unspoken understanding that the Master Room was hers. He opened up the first door on his left and stepped back. She took a step inside and saw a large piano to one side and a number of paintings and books around the walls. She nodded to him and he pointed to the door across the hall.

"My room."

She nodded and he continued back deeper. There was only one door left on this hallway, and it was the one they were walking straight towards. She knew from the dimensions of the house that this room had to be quite large. He opened the door and she stepped in. There was already a fire going and a large four poster bed. She had a sitting area, a large wine cabinet, and a balcony. She could see a large closet off to one side, along with the bathroom. All in all, it was a room fit for a Queen.

"Thank you, Stefan. Notify me when Anna has arrived, dear," she said dismissively, and shut the door behind herself. She could hear Stefan walking down the hallway and going into his own room. She set her bag down on the bed and went into the bathroom. Everything was as she required - a large tub, a shower, all of the little amenities that made a house a home. Stefan had already supplied the toiletries and towels and she was certain if she looked in the closet, she would find a few items of clothing already waiting for her. He had thought of everything, again.

She rested her hands on the countertop and leaned forward, looking in the mirror. The mask on her face was still hard, and she looked down. A flick of her wrist and water was coming from the faucet. She splashed some on her face and looked up again, relaxing. She looked tired. Withdrawn. Hungry. Less than a month, and things would change.

Patting her face dry on a towel, Caroline walked over to the large doors that led on to presumably a balcony. She opened them and stepped out, seeing only woods. It was wonderful and freeing, surrounded by that much nature, but she couldn't get the smell of werewolf from her nose. It was a tantalizing tease, knowing that there were some that still roamed these lands. They had been her father's lands, and they should have been hers. When she was Queen, she would take it all back before she destroyed it.

Turning away from the open doors, she walked over to the bed and flopped down. There was nothing she could do now but wait. Bonnie would want to get settled in before getting to business and Stefan seemed unwilling to talk until Anna arrived. Tyler was going to be useless until she gave him an order. All she had to do now was wait.

.:| Queen of the Heartless |:.

An hour later, Caroline heard a knock at her door. She sat up and the door opened slightly to reveal Stefan. He bowed his head slightly towards her. "Anna has arrived and Bonnie is all settled in. I have had a meal prepared for us, and then we may discuss plans?"

Caroline sat up on the bed and ran her hand back through her blonde locks. She nodded to him once then pushed herself off the bed. There had better be REAL food there. She wasn't going to eat human food just because Stefan and Bonnie appreciated it. She was a Vampire - she wanted blood.

Walking down the stairs and following her nose, she found the dining room. Bonnie was sitting across from Anna, asking her about her travels, being as polite as possible. Tyler was lounging back in the chair beside Anna, to the left of the head of the table, looking rather sullen. Stefan was still standing beside his chair to the right of the head of the table. She stood there for a moment and took in the image before her, then walked towards her seat.

Stefan, ever the gentleman, pulled out her chair and she sat in it. He then sat down at her right hand and nodded to a woman Caroline could only assume was Stefan's hired help. Plates were then brought out to all of them and the wine glasses were filled.

"How many have you compelled to fill your household?" she asked, emphasizing the your. Never before had they lived in a house that was not hers. She would visit, on occasion, but she made certain they knew it was her home that they lived in.

"I have, on your behalf, hired a cook and a maid. I assumed that once you arrived, you would make the necessary changes as you deemed fit to make the house more your own. It is already in your name."

Caroline gave him a sweet smile. "Thank you, Stefan, for your kind gift."

Silence settled over the table as they all took in the fact that Caroline was secure in her place. She was at the head of the table. They were here for her sacrifice. Their friends were still locked away in a place only Caroline knew of.

"Tell me, Anna, how many men have you fucked while Jeremy sleeps?"

Anna had dropped her silverware at the words, Bonnie was muttering under her breath about tact, Stefan was glaring at her for being so crass, and Tyler was trying to keep from laughing. Caroline didn't move a muscle as she kept the smirk on her face while her eyes showed her disdain for the girl. Anna then looked up from her plate towards Caroline, knowing that she was the only way to get back her lover.

"I did as I had to, to get by, but I have remained true to Jeremy."

Caroline raised an eyebrow and looked down at her food. It did smell good, and human food was on occasion enjoyable. She took a few bites of it then looked up again to see Tyler glaring at his empty wine glass. He was then looking around the room for someone to give him more. She was getting tired of his constantly intoxicated state and grabbed her steak knife from the table and slammed it point down into the hand that rested on the table.

He yelped out in pain and everyone else jumped back, startled, but Caroline didn't release her hold on the knife, so Tyler was unable to remove it. "Control your drinking, or I will have you locked in a coffin and thrown into the fucking ocean."

Tyler looked up at her, his eyes full of anger, but when he saw the anger in her eyes, he bowed his head. Caroline jerked the knife out of his hand and threw it down onto the table.

"I'm tired of these pleasantries. I want to know, right fucking now, what the hell we are doing to prepare for the sacrifice."

Stefan rose from his chair, his calm face unwavering, and stepped behind Caroline's chair to pull it out. She glared up at him and let him help her out, then led all of them into the sitting room. Tyler was eerily silent as his hand Healed. Bonnie, Tyler, and Anna all sat on the couch while Stefan sat in an armchair. Caroline remained standing beside the fireplace.

"Tell me about my doppelganger."

Stefan remained seated with his arms on the chair and his fingers interlaced in front of him. He stared into the fire, not looking up at the anger on Caroline's face. "Her name is Katherine Pierce. She is an only child. Her parents are dead. She lives alone, but her boyfriend often stays over. His name is Elijah Mikaelson, and he is a Vampire Hunter."

He paused at that and their eyes locked. Stefan shook his head slightly and Caroline nodded, confirming that he was simply a hunter. "Katherine has become part of the Mikaelson family. That is why I sent Anna in to the school, to befriend the youngest two Mikaelsons. One of them is a witch, Bonnie, and she has no idea how to use her powers. I doubt she even knows they exist."

Bonnie nodded. That would make her happy, having someone new to teach. Given that Bonnie had no family to pass her magic on to, students were always something she appreciated.

"There is also still a werewolf presence... Tyler's family, actually. The Mayor carries the gene but it has not been activated. His son has not activated it either. He is a student at the same school the youngest Mikaelsons attend.

Caroline looked at Tyler, who had sunk down into his seat. His family line being continued was always a sore subject of the group and was an easy way to make Caroline even angrier than she already was.

"And the other Mikaelsons?"

"Klaus is the town sheriff. He carries the werewolf gene unlike his other siblings. There is also some sort of hatred between him and the Patriarch of the family, who is in and out of their lives. They all had a younger sibling that died a week ago from unknown causes. And then that leaves... Finn."

Caroline raised her eyebrow. Stefan had mentioned knowing him on the ride over. "What about Finn?"

"He knows that I am a Vampire, Caroline. He and I have crossed paths a few times. He does not know I am in town, but he could easily recognize me. I told him some of our family, but I doubt he told any of the others."

Caroline pursed her lips together and nodded. So, Stefan had been telling humans about their family. As if she wasn't working hard enough to protect them...

"Bonnie, I want you to spell this house. No one can get in without our permission. I want no one around that we don't allow. After that, I have all of your grimoires. Do whatever research you must to prepare for the sacrifice, then attend the local high school. Get close to this witch."

Bonnie nodded and hopped up from her seat, ready to get to work on protecting the house. Caroline then turned to Tyler, who was already looking up at her as though he knew what was coming.

"Congratulations, Mister Richardson. You get to go to High School!"

Tyler groaned and muttered, "Come on, Care."

She flashed forward and grabbed him by the front of his shirt. "Get close to the werewolf. You need to go find me my moonstone. Find it and all your deeds of the past thousand years are forgiven."

Tyler nodded and she dropped him back down. Tyler tried to retain his dignity by getting up slowly but the fear was oozing off of him. He slipped upstairs and she waited till he was gone before turning to Stefan.

"I presume that you set aside a room for Jeremy?"

Stefan nodded. Caroline then turned to Anna and let her eyes dilate. The girl knew better than to try and look away. "Anna, go upstairs to Jeremy's room, and don't come out unless I say so."

Anna immediately got up and ran to Jeremy's room. Good. That took care of her, for now.

She then flopped down into an armchair and stared at Stefan. He watched her from across the room, and Caroline ran her fingers back through her hair. "Whoever he is, he has gotten closer."

Stefan nodded. Of all the family, he was the only one that seemed to believe that there might be some truth to Caroline's paranoia. There were too many times that people around them had died. That homes had suddenly been burned to the ground. That her favorite horse had been shot. Things had happened over the years that made Caroline fear something was following them.

"After I have become a Hybrid, I will destroy this threat and reunite this family. But, I need your support on this, Stefan. I need my big brother. My right hand. I need you to promise me that at the end of the day, you will stand beside me."

Stefan stared at her for a moment, then nodded his head. "Of course, Caroline. We chose each other. Always and Forever."

.:| The Lone Pup |:.

Klaus knew something was wrong. There was something in the air that was drawing at him. He wasn't quite sure what it was, and it had nothing to do with Mikael being around. He had always had this extra sense that something was in the air before it happened. Like the wind was telling him to prepare himself.

Standing out front of the Sheriff's station, he put his hands on his hips and looked around at the town square in front of him. His gun was loaded on his hip and he feared that for once, he would have to use it. Something was coming to Mystic Falls, and he wasn't sure if he was really prepared.

* * *

**I want to give a huge shoutout to my girls livingdeadblondegirl, the deej, and a little blonde distraction! They are all fabulous writers and wonderful friends, and have welcomed me into this Klaroline tumblr writing fold. Thank you, lovelies!**

Betas : livingdeadblondegirl, swingklaroline, suchaglamorouslie, the deej  
Story Idea from FadingTales and CandiceMorgans on Tumblr

Tumblr. TUMBLR MY PEOPLE! You want to know what's going on? Melanoradrood on Tumblr. Use it. Live it. Love it.


	4. Chapter 3 : Making Friends

**Chapter Three : Making Friends**

Stefan had originally wanted to take Caroline out in the woods to some of the areas of their past, but she had pushed it off. She didn't want to see where her parents were buried. She didn't want to see the area that her house used to be. She didn't want to find the tree that had kept growing after Tyler carved their initials into it. She didn't want any of those memories. Not yet, at least. And not with Stefan.

So instead, Stefan had convinced her to go into town. Caroline would have rather just let everyone else deal with setting up the sacrifice, but Stefan was certain that she would want to get the general layout of the area. She had hoped to spend the day with Bonnie, but the girl had left early to run in the woods. Tyler was gone as well. Something about going into the city to find clothes he actually liked. As long as he returned and didn't cause a massacre, Caroline didn't care.

So now, here she was, in the middle of nowhere, walking down the street with Stefan. He had convinced her to try and blend in more with her clothing, but she really wouldn't listen to the words of a man wearing a three piece suit on a Saturday. She had stuck with her normal jeans, boots, tank top, and jacket. Her hand kept unconsciously going to her neck, feeling the leather cords there. It seemed only fitting that she wear her father's necklace while in Mystic Falls.

She could smell food coming from an establishment with the name 'Mystic Grill' on the sign out front. There was also the stench of greasy mess that she was certain would make even her Vampire stomach sick. Stefan had promised, however, that there would be alcohol, and she needed a drink after this little walk.

Caroline stepped inside and the room went a little quiet. All eyes were suddenly on the newcomers. Small towns... any outsiders came and everyone was suddenly interested. The stares were more than just those for a newcomer, though. They were all on her. She casually walked to the bar and sat down, Stefan a pace behind her. Caroline didn't know whether it was her beauty or the authority that caught their attention, but neither bothered her. They should recognize that she was superior to them.

The bartender came forward and she let her eyes dilate. "Two glasses and a bottle of your best bourbon."

The man nodded and ran off to get it. Stefan sighed beside her and she turned her head slightly towards him. "Don't even start with me, Salvatore."

Stefan shrugged and sat back in his chair. He wasn't going to argue with Caroline, especially in public. He wasn't quite sure if she would compel everyone to forget everything, or just massacre them all, but either way, he didn't want anything happening. He was still hopeful he could save this town from her wrath, doppelganger included.

"Are you sure this is a good idea to send Tyler to the school?"

Caroline picked up the bottle that had been deposited in front of her and poured a finger into each glass. "Now why wouldn't it be a good idea?"

Stefan took a sip of his drink then sat back in the chair. "Tyler has the least control out of all of us, not because he struggles to control himself, but because he doesn't want to. And you want to send him into a world of teenager problems and hormones?"

Caroline smirked to herself and turned her head towards Stefan. "Sweetheart, I don't expect Tyler to keep control. I know that he will screw up. And then I get to punish him for it."

Stefan nodded his head and looked down at his glass, then swallowed the entire thing. He picked up the bottle and poured twice the earlier amount and drank all of that too. It was hard at times to see and hear all of the evil that your closest friend has performed over the years. He could still remember a blonde haired child running barefooted with her hair back in two braids and a handful of flowers. She had been the kindest and gentlest soul of them all. And now, that soul was gone.

Caroline was leaning forward at the bar, holding the glass in her hand while she stared off against the wall. "Tyler has had this coming for centuries. I cannot just allow him to roam any longer, and once the curse is broken, he will try to fight me for power. All of the pent up animalistic need for blood of a millennia let loose at once? I will have to put him down first."

Stefan nodded his head slightly. "Tyler seems to think that you breaking the curse won't break it for him as well. He wants nothing to do with turning."

Caroline just shrugged. "We are what we are. We were born this way. He must accept that he is also part werewolf. Regardless, he will be locked in a coffin the second that I have completed my first shift. Sooner, perhaps, if he forces my hand."

She could hear the door open behind her and didn't turn to look. Stefan did, however, then turned back to face away from the door quickly. "The Mikaelsons just walked in."

Caroline ached to turn around but she continued facing forward, wanting to know the entire hand before she played her cards. "All of them? Including my doppelganger?"

Stefan shook his head slightly.

"Which one is which?"

Stefan kept his voice low as he spoke so that only she could hear. "Finn has the reddish hair, tallest I think. Wearing scrubs. Elijah reeks of vervain and is wearing a button up shirt. Klaus has on a leather jacket and gun, stinks of wolf."

Caroline growled slightly at that and Stefan remembered that Caroline was part wolf as well. It was so easy to forget at times that she was part of both groups.

"The girl is Rebekah, the witch. Be careful, I don't know how much she knows. The other boy is Kol. Bit of a flirt, but you know how to handle them."

Caroline nodded and took another swig of her drink. Someone was approaching the bar behind her and she refilled her glass with another two shots. She didn't turn her head, just took a sniff. Wolf. It was Klaus. She knew that Stefan and Finn had a past and that Elijah was likely trained to recognize vampires.

If Klaus was aware of his Werewolf heritage, even without activating the gene, he would recognize the smell of the undead. It was a sickly sweet fragrance of blood that even Caroline grew tired of at times. The man had stopped beside her and asked for three beers from the bartender, then glanced at her slightly. Caroline didn't look at him, just let a smirk slide across her lips. She could sense his eyes on hers.

"No beer for me, Niklaus. I have to get back to the hospital!"

Stefan was looking straight at his drink and Caroline flitted her eyes at him for a second. Their eyes locked and they waited a moment for the man beside her to collect his drinks. She could hear a boy jokingly saying the beer could be his, and then what sounded like a soft punch. Caroline knew she had to make a trip to the hospital after this, and was glad to know that her target would be there.

Klaus had collected his now two beers and took a glance at Caroline again. She glanced towards him and their eyes locked. He seemed to pause in his steps as she glanced down at him, taking in his fitted jeans, unbuttoned collar dress shirt and waistcoat, and leather jacket. She knew there were muscles hidden under those clothes. The gun on his hip likely only had regular bullets in it and she got no scent of vervain. She would greatly enjoy playing with this fine piece of man.

She then turned her head away from him, looked back down at her drink, then heard him returning to his table. A voice, the one that had asked to have the other beer, asked who she was, and Klaus had muttered something about no one. She was certainly not no one... and it was about time she introduced herself.

"Stay here for a moment, Stefan, until I call for you."

Stefan's mouth opened to say something but Caroline had already gotten up from her stool. He had tensed up but wouldn't turn around to look. She turned her body slowly and looked down towards the Mikaelson bunch.

There they were, chit chatting about their day. Rebekah the Witch sitting beside Kol the flirt, with Klaus the Sheriff sitting at the head of the table, and Elijah the Hunter and Finn the Doctor to the other side. A pretty little family. Finn and Elijah had their back towards her and Klaus' eyes locked with hers as she began gliding towards them.

She stopped at the foot of the table and suddenly all of their attention turned towards her. She had a smirk on her face and crossed her arms, waiting for someone to say something. They all just kind of looked... shocked. She could practically smell the fear from someone, and arousal from another.

Klaus jerked out of his chair after a moment, as though he finally got his brain around him. He offered his hand out towards her. "Hi, I'm Klaus. Klaus Mikaelson. Sheriff of Mystic Falls. You must be new here."

Caroline eyed his hand for a moment then took it slowly. He held onto it tighter than necessary but she didn't speak, just flicked her eyes to everyone else. They were all watching her. She let a sweet smile slide across her face.

"I know who you are, Sheriff. And this must be your family?"

Klaus nodded and broke his eyes from her. "Uh, yes. These are my brothers, Finn-"

Finn nodded at her from his chair, still unable to close his mouth.

"Elijah"

Elijah eyed her warily.

"Kol-"

Kol had already gotten out of his chair and was offering his hand to her. She took it and he kissed the back of it.

"Kol..." Klaus growled, and Caroline flicked her eyes back to him as she pulled her hand from his younger brother. She recognized that growl. That was the growl of a man used to being in charge. She would certainly enjoy playing with him.

"And our sister Rebekah."

Rebekah eyed her for a moment, then muttered, "Charmed."

Klaus nodded at the group then looked back up at her. "Would you like to join us, Miss..."

Caroline laughed softly and shook her head. "Oh no, thank you. I actually have a few things to attend to. I just wanted to meet the lovely Mikaelsons that I have already heard so much about. My... brother, if you will, has told me all about you."

She nodded her head to the bar where Stefan was sitting, still, not moving or looking back.

"Stefan, won't you come join us?"

Stefan pushed himself out of the chair and walked over beside her. His eyes met Finn's, and she watched in amusement as the human's eyes went wide. "Stefan Salvatore? What- what are you doing here?"

Stefan eyed him for a moment, then spoke. "Hello again, Finn. Thank you for having the good sense to be frightened."

The atmosphere of the table shifted to confusion and Caroline stepped away from the foot of the table, stepping behind the youngest Mikaelsons. Her steps were slow and she let one hand graze over the shoulder of Kol, and then continue to Rebekah's. They had frozen, not truly knowing the danger around them.

Finn saw her movements and jumped out of his chair, but Stefan grabbed his shoulder and pushed him back down into it. "Do not worry, Finn. We aren't here to bring trouble."

"Yet," said Caroline, then stepped to stand beside Klaus. He was eyeing her and his eldest brother, confused, and she continued her steps. She lightly touched one of Klaus' curls and eyed Elijah. The stench of vervain was heavy and she was surprised to not smell it on his siblings. Was he so careless as to not protect his family as well?

She then offered her hand to Finn, in greeting. He took it slowly. She held onto it for a moment, then tightened a little so he couldn't pull away.

"I know that Stefan has told you all about our little family, but please, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Caroline. Caroline Forbes."

Elijah's eyes went wider, recognizing the name. He got out of his chair this time and Caroline rushed over to him, slightly faster than a human. Her hand grabbed his shoulder and slammed him back down into his chair, much harder than the force Stefan had used on Finn.

Klaus' hand went to his gun and Caroline laughed. Elijah was shaking his head at him, and Klaus looked confused up at her. "Please, sweetheart. Bullets don't hurt me."

The term was lost on the rest of the group and she glanced down at Elijah. "How interesting, that you know who I am, as does your elder brother, but not the rest of your family. Do you truly care so little for them that you do not protect them better?"

Elijah and Finn were both tense, knowing who she was. She released her hands from their grasp and held them up, as if in surrender, and walked behind the youngest Mikaelsons again. Both Finn and Elijah were staring at her, the fear rolling off of them. There was nothing they could do to stop her if she chose to kill any of them.

"Dr. Mikaelson, would you and your... Hunter of a brother... care to join myself and Stefan for dinner? We have purchased the mansion just outside of town. I swear to you, you will not be harmed."

Finn glanced up at Stefan. If nothing else, Finn seemed to trust Stefan more than her. "You will be safe, Finn. I am a man of my word. I make a deal, I keep a deal. If you come to our house tonight and do not try to harm us, then we will not harm any of you."

Finn nodded and looked at Elijah. "Stefan is honorable. We should trust him."

Caroline laughed. "Oh yes, you trust the ripper over me? How strange."

Stefan had tensed at her words and she flashed him a pout. "Does your little friend not know that? Hmm, seems like we shall have to talk about this later."

The rest of the table was still tense and she leaned forward between Kol and Rebekah. Her head turned to Rebekah first. "You might want to make some new friends, love. There is all sorts of fun and magical things you still need to learn."

Rebekah had tensed up and Caroline knew that the girl had some idea of her witchy abilities.

"Her name is Bonnie, sweetheart. Get to know her."

She then turned her head to Kol and ruffled his hair slightly. "Be a good boy, Kol. There are things that go bump in the night."

Her eyes then flicked to Elijah and Finn from across the table. "Finn, I will be by the hospital to visit in an hour. We shall need to change the arrangement you have with Stefan. I have a new supply for you. And Elijah, please shower tonight. You reek."

She then pushed herself up and walked around to Klaus. Her eyes locked with his and she slid her finger underneath his chin. She lifted her finger slowly and Klaus stood up. "I can smell the power and intrigue coming off of you, but do realize, love, that I am the Alpha around here. Hmm, so many unanswered questions with you. But, no worries. I shall find them all out soon enough."

She leaned forward and smelled the side of his neck, trying to see if she could sense the werewolf line. He was frozen in front of her and the fear almost masked it, but she still knew that smell. She pulled back from him in surprise and looked at Stefan.

"Tyler..." she whispered. She then looked back at Klaus. "Is your family related to the Lockwoods?"

Klaus glanced at his siblings then shook his head no. "The Mayor? No."

Caroline tilted her head to the side and studied him for a moment. The werewolf line smelled just like Tyler, and yet... her eyes lit up as she realized the secret in front of her. Well, well, well, it seemed as though cheating and affairs ran in the Lockwood bloodline.

"Oh, Sheriff. There are things about you you cannot even possibly imagine. But, as I said. No worries, love. Everything will come to light soon enough."

She stepped away from the werewolf and went to walk out the door. At the last second she glanced back at the family who were all still staring at her. "And Sheriff. You may not want to kill anyone, darling. Unless, of course, you like to run a little wild."

.:| The Queen of the Heartless |:.

Stefan was silent as they left the Grill, but she knew he was fuming. Stefan prefered to be much more subtle, and work things out like a gentleman. Caroline, however, liked to make an impression. The Mikaelsons would know not to get in her way. She had established her control. And tonight, she would establish a few rules as she prepared for the sacrifice.

They had walked about a block before Stefan turned down an alley and slammed his fist into the brick wall. It creaked a little and Caroline turned to him, hand on him, waiting for him to say something. Her lips were pursed and she just waited as he shook out his now broken hand.

"Feel better?"

Stefan turned towards her, his face full of anger, and Caroline took a step back in shock. Why was he so mad at her? What had she possibly done to infuriate him so? Now, Stefan had approached her and was shaking her by her shoulders. She looked up at him, her face the same scared little girl that had feared her father so many years ago.

"Caroline, you shouldn't have approached them. Most of them don't know anything about Vampires, and I would consider Finn to actually sometimes be a friend. And don't think I didn't notice your threat against Kol. You can't just do that, Caroline."

Stefan was yelling at her now and she turned her head away from him, waiting for the incoming blow. He had stilled in his movements, then she felt his arms wrap around her. She let out a little gasp of air she had been pointlessly holding in and clung to him.

"I'm sorry," she whispered out. "I just wanted to figure this all out. Gain control before they take it from us."

Stefan was nodding and stroking her hair, feeling bad for having yelled at her. Sometimes he lost a bit too much control, and he remembered how the yelling and shaking had always scared her. When everyone else was too busy, it had always been Stefan that saved her from her father. "I'm sorry for yelling, Caroline. I was just angry."

Caroline nodded and pulled away, angry with herself for letting him scare her. She was stronger than him, and yet she had broken down like that foolish human girl all over again at the first sign of yelling. "I just want to be free, Stefan. I feel as though I have been caged in one form for my entire life and I just want to be let out. I was not supposed to be like this. I was born to be a shifter. I just want to shift."

Stefan nodded and pulled her back in for a hug. They stood there for a moment and she pulled back again, this time letting the calm overtake her face. She dabbed at her eyes to clear the tears and turned back to him.

"I have to go to the hospital."

"Don't hurt him, Caroline. Finn Mikaelson is a good man."

Caroline nodded, then looked down at the ground. "I just want to give him my blood instead. I want to know how much he is using, and how often."

Stefan shrugged at those words, and a silence settled over them. Stefan went to leave the alley, then turned back at the last second to reaffirm her. He knew that Caroline was nearing a breaking point. It was written all over the mask on her face.

"I'll stand behind you, Care, no matter what." She looked away at the use of her nickname. "Just, please, I'm asking you to be careful. I want our family reunited."

Caroline looked up at him again and nodded. "Me too, Steff. Me too."

.:| The Lone Pup |:.

Elijah and Finn had rushed all of them home as soon as the mysterious Caroline had left the Grill. All of them were handed a water bottle filled with some herb that was supposed to keep them safe and told to drink some every day, but Klaus was still confused. They had tried explaining what Vampires were, but how could they really believe in something supernatural? Vampires didn't exist. And yet, they had all seen her speed. Her power. And Elijah and Finn were too afraid for it to not be real.

"Listen to me, Niklaus. Caroline is the most feared and hated of all Vampires. Whatever you do to try and escape or best her, she will get vengeance. Our friends, this family and anyone that we have ever loved... they will die. There is no fighting her. We must simply give her what she wants and hope we are left alive in the end."

Klaus sat back and looked around the room. "And what about what she said to each of us?"

Rebekah spoke up first. She had been the most calm of the group. "I'm a witch."

Everyone turned and looked at her with shock. She just shrugged. "Mother told me once that it was in our blood, and that I could learn to use my powers one day, only she died before... I can't do anything with it, but Caroline said that a witch called Bonnie is going to help me."

Finn nodded his head for a moment. "I remember Stefan talking about her. Bonnie is more than just a witch - she is also a Vampire. Stefan said that she was good and rarely hurt anyone, but she is still a Vampire. Be careful with her, Rebekah."

His eyes then looked at Kol, who shrugged. "She just told me to be a good boy. Personally, I think she is far too sexy to try and kill me. We would have beautiful children... except for the whole dead part."

Elijah and Klaus' eyes locked. A good boy? Sounded like she was threatening him.

"I have to go to the hospital," Finn said, and looked away from his siblings. "I've been using Stefan's blood since I met him to Heal. Not all the time, but, do you remember that time Rebekah fell out of a tree? She broke a few bones, and with that blood, she woke up fine. I'm pretty sure that Caroline is going to take it away from me. Why else would she need to see me at the hospital?"  
Enough had already happened that no one was really shocked. Finn then excused himself, knowing he had to get back to the hospital before Caroline did. Klaus looked up at Elijah, who had been sniffing at himself for a while.

"She could smell the vervain on me. I think I better shower before dinner." He left the room, leaving Klaus with his younger siblings.

"Nik, about what she said to you... why did she ask about the Lockwoods?"

Klaus just shrugged. "Who knows. It doesn't matter. I'm sure I will find out soon enough."

But it did matter. He wasn't really a Mikaelson. He was something else, and Caroline could sense that about him. He had always known he was different. His anger was uncontrollable and he was stronger than the rest of his siblings. Something was different, and now an Original Vampire was asking about who he was related to. She knew something, and he was going to find out.

* * *

**AN :  
Still no cover. Sigh. Anyone wanna make one?**

**I have to get myself into a pattern. Mondays and Fridays will be QotH. Tuesdays and Saturdays will be TOS. Sundays and Wednesdays will have little previews of upcoming chapters on my tumblr. Thursdays are for me.**

**Also, I'm writing a Klarolijah Smut piece. Idk if I will toss it into the drabbles/oneshot story or make it it's own, given how big it is, but keep your eyes open. It's a OS, so don't beg for more, else I might give in.**

**Betas : Jesseelena, suchaglamorouslie, livingdeadblondegirl, The Deej**

Shoutout : Cassie - Guest : Oh my god, I adore you. Please stop being a guest. Please join Tumblr. I want to squish you and love you forever for your comments. Like, seriously!


	5. Chapter 4 : Always In Control

**Chapter Four : Always In Control**

Caroline was casually walking towards the hospital when she felt one of the phones in her back pocket start to ring. She slid her hand back to grab it and glanced at the caller id. Bonnie! Lovely. She needed an update from her favorite witch.

"Bonnie love, tell me you are prepared for my sacrifice."  
**  
**"Caroline, we need to talk."

Caroline rolled her eyes and kept walking. Talk talk talk! That's all anyone ever wanted to do. They were Vampires! They lived off of their emotions! They did as they wanted! They didn't talk about things. They did it, damn the consequences, and went on being badasses. She didn't have time for this talking.

"Bonnie, unless you are going to tell me you can't do it, then there is nothing to talk about. And won't is not an option." Her words were clearly trying to intimidate the girl.

"Don't you go threatening me, Caroline Elizadotir Williamson!" Caroline winced at the sound of her full, original name. "You may be the stronger Vampire, but I am still the Original witch!"

"Hybrid, sweetheart. I'm the bloody Original hybrid."

"You're the original vampire werewolf hybrid with your wolf side locked. I'm the original vampire witch, and I have my full powers. Now, do you want to try this conversation again?"

Caroline pursed her lips together, annoyed that Bonnie was actually trying to push her. She forgot sometimes that Bonnie was the only one willing to call her on her bullshit. They all knew that at the end of the day, what Bonnie wanted, Bonnie got. Regardless, something was really digging into the witch to actually speak like this.

"Alright then, Bonnie. What do you have on your mind?"

Bonnie sighed on the other end of the line, clearly glad that Caroline wasn't angry. "I've been looking through the grimoires, and I'm not quite sure this will entirely work. I'm only doing a sacrifice to unlock your true abilities. Since we don't know the actual curse that was placed upon you, it might not work."

Caroline nodded to herself and saw the hospital in the near distance. "Then Bonnie, find the right spell. We can only do this once with one doppelganger. I actually have to go, though. Stefan should be home soon."

Caroline hung up the phone before Bonnie could say anything else and flashed over to the hospital. A few compulsions and smiles flashed later, and she was sitting in Doctor Finn Mikaelson's office. She glanced at the pictures on the walls, noting that they were all of his siblings, with none of the parents. She stored that for later usage.

She could smell the man approaching and heard his steps outside of her door. She sat down on the edge of his desk and smiled as he opened the door. He stopped in his steps, and looked ready to turn away and leave her in there, but she shook her head.

"Come now, Doctor. I think it may be better if you and I just had this little talk."

Finn nodded and walked in, then shut the door behind him.

"Lock it."

He paused then locked the door, and stood there looking at her. Caroline turned her head slightly to the picture sitting on his desk of him and his siblings. She picked it up and looked at it. "I heard about your youngest brother. Henrik. I'm very sorry for your loss."

She stared at the picture for a moment longer and felt a little sadness. She had never had another sibling. It had always been Caroline, the lone child, with her parents. Her father and mother never got along and all her father cared about was the Pack. Her mother, on the other hand, cared about the rest of the village children, but not her. Would things have been different if she had had siblings?

She realized then that her face had slipped slightly and she looked back up at Finn, who was staring at her, confused. "It would be a pity if you lost another sibling."

Finn was shaking in fear, staring at her from across the office, and she set the picture back down, then stood from her place on his desk. "Do not worry, Dr Mikaelson. I have no intentions of harming any of your siblings."

"What is it you want, then?"

Caroline tilted her head to the side and smiled. "Do you mean right now, or tonight?"

She flirted her words slightly and his body froze again. She laughed and rolled her eyes, then walked around the edge of his desk to the seat. She sat down in it and chuckled again to herself. "No worries. I already have my eye on someone else for that."

She wasn't going to mention it was his younger brother.

"You will find out more about our purpose in this town tonight. I strongly recommend that you come dressed for a proper dinner. We are very old and wealthy Vampires. Do not expect any of that fast food garbage you Americans so enjoy."

Finn nodded and stood at the door, waiting for her to speak again.

"I've come to take back Stefan's blood."

Finn's mouth dropped, and Caroline smiled.

"Yes, Doctor. I know all about the blood that Stefan gave you. And I am here to take it all back."

"That blood saves people's lives."

Caroline smirked and laughed a little to herself. "And? I kill people every day. And I will kill far more than you can save if you do not give me that blood."

The fear was making the room practically stink.

"How about this, Doctor? You give me Stefan's blood, and I'll give you some of mine."

His eyes went wide at this. "What difference does it make who's blood I have?"

Caroline shrugged and went back to looking at the pictures. This one was one of him and the Sheriff. "Because I prefer to be in control. This way, I get to know how much in all you have and can control how much more you get. And do not try to go behind my back to Stefan. He will suffer a worse fate than you, should he cross me."

Finn nodded his head, then went to a filing cabinet on the opposite wall. He opened it, then began tinkering on a safe. Caroline watched the numbers he put in and smiled. Foolish humans. Always a useful thing to know. Finn then opened it up and pulled out two trays of vials. He set them down on the desk and she let her eyes dilate.

"Is that all of them?"

Finn was shaking and didn't answer. She sighed, realizing that Elijah had already given him vervain. "Pathetic... now answer me regardless."

Finn nodded.

"Out loud."

"Yes, that's all of them."

She couldn't smell a lie. She would have to take him at his word, for now.

"And your blood?"

Caroline glanced up from the vials she was staring at. Well, she had agreed to give him her blood. "Yes, you can have my blood. Go get me two cups."

Finn nodded and darted over to his cabinets and pulled out two large vials. He set them on the desk in front of her then began looking for something else.

"What else are you trying to find?"

"A scalpel or something for you to cut yourself with..."

Caroline snickered then let her fangs drop. Finn let out a startled gasp and jumped back and Caroline looked up at him. She knew her eyes were blacked and the veins were raised, and she smiled a toothy smile at him, then bit into her wrist. She then stuck her pointer and middle finger into the holes so they wouldn't close up and held her bleeding wrist over the vial so it could drain.

"Doctor, if you would be so kind, pour all of Stefan's blood into the other cup."

Finn nodded and began doing as he was told. Caroline hadn't bothered to let her fangs recede and watched as the doctor began emptying each vial. The large beaker she had been filling up was almost filled after a few more bites and she raised her wrist back to her mouth. The holes closed up and she licked up the excess blood, then sniffed the cup of Stefan's blood.

It smelled like Original blood. She tipped her head back and drank it. Definitely Original blood. Salvatore blood. She drank until it was all gone, then let her fangs slip back in. Her face became perfectly smooth again and she smiled at the doctor as she licked her lips.

"You will use my blood, only when it is life or death. When you are out of this, let me know, and I may give you more. So, use it wisely doctor."

Finn nodded and Caroline got up from the chair. She went over to the door and unlocked it, then glanced back over her shoulder.

"I expect to see you at seven o'clock, sharp. Remember, a little class goes a long way."

.:| The Honorable Nobleman |:.

"Stefan, we need to talk."

He had barely walked in the front door when he heard Bonnie's voice calling to him. He shut the door and turned towards the living room, where Bonnie was sitting on the floor surrounded by candles and open grimoires. She was holding a phone in her hand - the one he had given her the day before - and she looked a little upset. Stefan nodded and walked into the room.

He offered his hand out to Bonnie and she took it, and he helped her rise from the floor. He then sat down in one of the chairs after she had tucked herself into the corner of the couch. She was fidgiting with her hair then sighed. "Stefan, this isn't looking good."

He sat forward and stared at Bonnie. She seemed to be rather upset about whatever it is. "Bonnie, everything will be ok."

Bonnie shook her head no and looked up at Stefan. "Tyler doesn't know that if this works, he will have to change as well. You saw him the day after we all turned. He had never killed before we became Vampires, and then he shifted into a werewolf, and he was scared. Tyler, for all of his flaws, was once a good man. Look at how little control he actually has left. If he has to shift again..."

"After Caroline activated her werewolf half, she could shift right then. And it wasn't a full moon. He won't have to shift unless he really wants to."

"Stefan, he has no control over his anger and rage now! He will destroy everyone and everything with his werewolf half set free."

Stefan nodded then sat back, wondering how much to actually tell Bonnie. Caroline would need her help anyways when the time came. "I think Caroline plans on locking him inside of a coffin after the sacrifice is broken.

Bonnie's eyes went wide. "Stefan, no! She has three of us locked up already. She can't take Tyler away as well!"

"Well what else can we do, Bonnie? Tyler is becoming uncontrollable. He is going to expose us all. We aren't safe with him roaming free. I actually agree with Caroline on this."

"Oh Stefan, you can't! Caroline is just paranoid! I have all of us untraceable, and we don't exactly advertise to the world where we are! There is no one following us."

Stefan didn't know if that was true. Bonnie seemed so certain that no one could follow them, but Caroline's instincts had never been wrong. If she truly thought someone was following them, then someone was. The question was whether or not Caroline actually thought someone was following them, or she was just using her power and their fear against them.

"She said that she will reunite the family after the sacrifice is completed and her curse is broken."

"And you believe her? Caroline is my oldest friend, but sometimes I think she is starting to lose it, Stef."

"I know, Bon. I know. But, I have stood beside her for this long. Any time I have betrayed her, things just got worse. Any time any of us have betrayed her... That's the one thing that Caroline cannot handle. Us betraying her. She may be a thousand years old and the most feared Vampire in the world, but she is also still the fragile girl that was constantly fighting for control and always second to the other girls."

"Caroline cannot seriously believe that! She doesn't even have to use compulsion half the time to get what she wants."

"At the end of the day, Caroline is the most lonely of us all. And she is too strong willed to admit it to anyone, even herself."

A silence settled over the two of them. Stefan got up from his chair after a moment and went to his liquor cabinet. He poured himself a glass of bourbon and sat back down. He knew better than to offer any to Bonnie. She always declined.

"Bonnie, I need you to do something for me."

Bonnie had been lost in thought and jerked her head back up at his words. "Of course, Stefan. What do you need?"

Stefan was a little uncomfortable in his chair and got up to sit beside Bonnie. The witch likely thought he just needed a tiny spell. Nothing like this. This was something Bonnie would likely deny him on.

"I need you to convince Caroline not to kill Katherine."

Bonnie's face immediately fell. "Oh, Stefan. She isn't Tatia. And she can't be a replacement for Elena. You have to let it go."

Stefan shook his head. "I'm over Tatia, and I'm over Elena. I just... she is the last of Tatia's line. I feel like we owe it to Tatia. She is the reason we all survived, and now we are going to kill her doppelganger? You can cast a protection spell on her. She doesn't have to die in the sacrifice."

Bonnie got up from her chair and gracefully returned to her spot on the floor. She flipped through the grimoire, then twisted to another. After a few moments, she closed her eyes and raised her hands. The pages all began to flip, and then stopped. She opened her eyes again and read.

"I can do it, Stefan. I can protect her. But only her."

"You have to tell Caroline. We can't just do it without her knowing."

Bonnie shook her head. "We don't have to tell her anything. What if she says no?"

"Then we do it anyways?"

Bonnie let out a dark laugh. "And spend the next century in a coffin? I think not."

Stefan sighed and ran his fingers through his normally perfect hair. "I can't ask her. Caroline doesn't trust me like she used to."

"It could be the fact you have betrayed her twice. It could also be the fact that you chose Tatia over her."

"Caroline has gotten over the fact that I turned her down."

"Caroline's heart has gotten over it, and she holds no more romantic feelings towards you, but she never forgets anything. She will make you pay for it, eventually?"

Bonnie was certainly right that Caroline never forgot anything. Sometimes, Caroline would go on a rampage. She would destroy everyone involved, destroy everything they had ever loved, and enjoy every second of it. Other times... Other times were far worse. Caroline would sit back and let them go, then chase them down and make them suffer. She would torture every last second, using fear and pain to punish those that had betrayed her. He didn't know which was worse.

"Caroline has the eldest two Mikaelsons coming over for dinner. You will likely want to make yourself scarce. Do you know where Tyler is right now?"

Bonnie's eyes closed as she searched for Tyler, then she reopened them. "He is still a few hours away. I think I will go join him. He mentioned something about trying to find clothes that actually fit. You didn't have to give him clothes that were two sizes too small, you know."

Stefan smirked. "We have a long existence to share together. I try to enjoy the little things."

.:| The Queen of the Heartless |:.

Caroline walked up to the house and noticed that Stefan's car was gone. She would have to get a car for herself. And likely Bonnie as well. Tyler could manage on his own. She could only imagine Bonnie driving a Prius. A white one, perhaps. As for herself, she was torn between getting something fast - maybe a charger - or an SUV. These American cars were so different from the European ones she normally drove, but while in America it felt wrong to drive anything other than American.

Opening up the front door, she saw Bonnie cleaning up her grimoires. "Cleaning up already, love? I thought you and I needed to have a talk."

Bonnie glanced up from what she was doing then went back to gathering her grimoires. Caroline slipped off her leather jacket and tossed it over the sofa and bent to help Bonnie grab them all. It took two trips to move everything, including a large box of candles, and then they were both sitting on Bonnie's bed.

"Caroline, I found a spell that might interest you."

"Oh, so you can do the sacrifice?"

"Care, I said I could and would do the sacrifice. I just don't know if it will be exactly what you want. But, this is a different spell. A spell I hope you will agree with... I can protect the doppelganger's life. She doesn't have to die in the sacrifice."

Caroline didn't move from her position on the bed. No wonder Stefan wasn't here. He had likely convinced Bonnie to ask her for this, and then disappeared so she wouldn't realize that Stefan had anything to do with this decision. She had to calm her face to hide the mixture of anger and amusement. Stefan wanted the fucking doppelganger, again. What was it with the Petrova blood that attracted them all so?

"You found this spell in one of the grimoires?"

Bonnie was quiet for a moment, then said, "Yes."

Stefan would pay for this. She would kill the fucking doppelganger, in front of him. Oh, she would let Bonnie do the spell. The doppelganger could survive the sacrifice. And then she would slice the girl's wrists and leave her in Stefan's bed. Even better. Stefan would give in to his Ripper tendencies and kill the girl himself. Oh yes. He would learn better than to try and sneak anything past her.

"I see nothing wrong with that. For the memory of Tatia, you can do it."

Caroline shrugged then went towards the door. She turned back at the last moment after making certain her face was completely empty. "Do you want to join Stefan and I for dinner? We are having a Doctor and a Hunter over for dinner."

Bonnie shook her head, the relief still clear on her face. "No thank you. I think I may go shopping. I need new clothes."

Caroline nodded and reached into her front pocket, then pulled out a card. "Here. I know you will not compel for anything. I had a card made for you and the others. I will see about getting us cars and a few modern goodies tomorrow."

Bonnie got up from the bed to take the card from Caroline, then grabbed her best friend's wrist. "There was a time, Caroline, when you wouldn't compel either. When you wanted everyone to still have free will."

Caroline jerked her wrist away. "Things are different now. Free will never really existed."

.:| The Lone Pup |:.

Klaus, Kol, and Rebekah were all standing around in Elijah's room while he and Finn kept pulling out the best of the evening wear they had. Rebekah kept saying that they should wear their tuxedos, which every man in the town had for all of the various parties that happened throughout the year. It was a small town, so they enjoyed their events. All the men, however, argued against this.

"I mean, do we really know how old they are? Stefan was wearing a suit! An actual suit! Just to go to the Grill! Seriously, I am the only one here with a fashion sense. If you wear a basic suit like that... you will be sorely underdressed."

Klaus just eyed them all, not knowing what to say. Sure, their normal suits were alright for small functions, but Rebekah did have a point.

"No. We're going with a normal suit and tie. They are lucky I don't just show up in jeans, a tshirt and a ballcap."

Rebekah threw her hands into the air and left the room, muttering something about looking more for their mother's grimoire. She claimed that their mother had hidden it years before from Mikael, and now she wanted it. According to her, it held all of the spells that ran in their family line. Whatever secrets Esther had been hiding, Rebekah wanted to know them.

"I say you go with your boring suits, brothers. Show them how basic you two are, then she can fall in love with the charming me at the next event when I am all dressed up."

Klaus smacked the back of Kol's head for his remark, then shook his head at his older brothers. "It doesn't matter what you wear - it won't be the right thing. This is a mistake to go in there unprepared. She will kill you both if you aren't careful."

Elijah just grinned at his brother. "I don't plan on dying tonight. On the contrary, I fully intend on shoving a stake through her heart."

"Elijah, I do not think that is a good idea. Shouldn't we just see what they want first?"

Finn, always the reasonable mature one. Klaus was normally annoyed with how borish he was, but at the current moment, he had to agree. He wanted to know more of what was going on. What Caroline wanted. And what she knew about him.

"I don't see why I can't just go with you. Three of us against the two of them. I have questions for her that I want answered still."

Elijah shook his head. "No, brother. She said just the two of us. If three of us show up, she will know something is up."

Klaus crossed his arms over his chest and glared at his elder brother. "She knows things about me, 'Lijah. She can answer questions that I have. And I am the town sheriff."

"And bullets will do nothing against her except make her mad. I don't want to lose any more of our siblings."

"So instead you are going to shove a stake into the chest of a woman that is clearly stronger and older than you?"

"Niklaus, you do not understand. All it takes is one stake to the chest. And then she will be out of our way." Elijah had the look on his face that said the conversation was final, and Klaus wanted to throw something at him. Why were they trying to protect him like he was a child?

"You're an idiot."

"And you're still not going."

Klaus just shook his head at his idiot brothers and went to look for Rebekah. Maybe this grimoire would tell more about these Vampires. Maybe there was an answer in there to all his questions.**  
**

* * *

**Beta : Livingdeadblondegirl**

**Idea inspired from FadingTales and CandiceMorgans**

**As always, you can find me on tumblr. melanoradrood.**

**I have someone working on a cover, so yay! I'm very excited for that! I also got an awesome cover for I Want To Know from dhfreak, which I'm still extra excited about. I also got that Kalijah piece done, and no I won't be continuing it. That's done. I'm out of ideas. Sorry.**

** Uhh, what else to tell you guys... Oh yeah, I posted a dark Klaroline OS. The Promise. Go check it out - lots of Angst. I keep having requests to continue it, or people saying they loved the first chapter and want more - It is listed as complete and as a One Shot. I'm sorry, but there won't be a continuation. Does that mean I haven't had ideas? Of course not. I'm a bucket full of ideas. But, my plate is full enough. **

**I'm out for the weekend, but I'll see you guys on Monday with some updates!**


	6. Chapter 5 : The Dinner Party

**Chapter Five : The Dinner Party**

Caroline knew that the brothers would be arriving within the next ten minutes, and she spent that time in front of her mirror. She had trusted that Stefan would take care of buying her a few items, but what he had purchased, she had not expected. It was actually something... nice. Something she would really wear. The rest of the closet would need to be filled in the near future, but for tonight, she actually liked her dress.

It was blood red with a sweetheart neckline and pleated skirt. She looked powerful in it. And her legs were absolutely fabulous. Matched with her favorite black pumps and the long strand of pearls she had had for almost 700 years, she looked good. Her hair had even been curled, at the urging of Bonnie. It felt odd not wearing her hair straight as per normal, but it was nice to have her hair back in it's loving waves for the first time in almost a thousand years.

There was a knock at her door and she opened it to see Stefan wearing a tuxedo. She looked him up and down and smiled. "Well, you certainly look more like yourself now, my Lord."

Stefan glanced down at his attire then shrugged. "I do not think we should consider ourselves to be nobility any longer. That title is tossed out far too easily these days."

He had offered his arm to her and she took it. He began to lead her down the hallway towards the front room to await their guests. "We should be honest with ourselves, Stefan. We had never truly been nobility."

Stefan gave her an odd side glance and she let a smirk slide over her lips. "We are royalty. We are Vampire Royalty, love. The oldest family."

Stefan let out a rough laugh and bowed before her then. "My Queen."

Caroline gave him a beautiful smile in return. "Your Grace."

They shared a warm smile for a moment, then Caroline turned away. She couldn't show happiness. She knew that Stefan was only here because he wanted his brother back. Because he wanted to protect the doppelganger. It was foolish to pretend she was anything other than the second choice. In some cases, she was more like third, or fourth. Stefan wasn't here to play Host with her. He was here to get back what was important to him.

Caroline stepped into the sitting room and pulled out two glasses. She filled both with scotch and handed one to Stefan. They both took a sip and she glanced towards the dining room. "Is there blood to be served?"

Stefan nodded yes. "I still remember your old intimidation techniques, Care."

"Do not call me Care."

"Of course."

She gave him a hard glare and Stefan glanced away, doing his signature smirk. She wanted to smack him for it, but she could hear the car pulling up in the driveway now. Caroline sat down on the edge of an armchair and crossed one leg over another. Ah, no matter how noble and honorable Stefan was, his eyes always gave him away. She was waiting for her legs to do the same to their guests.

There was a knock at the door and she could already hear the racing hearts of the brothers. Stefan answered it and she saw them both standing there in terrible suits. Where did they buy those dreadful things? She wouldn't even insult the fireplace by burning them there.

Both Finn and Elijah glanced towards her and she raised her glass towards them. Their eyes were locked on her long legs. Ah yes... the legs that had won her many a prize. The girls of the 21st century had no idea how truly lucky they were to get away with showing leg. She could remember a time when showing a toe was a scandal.

"Welcome, Gentlemen, to our home." Stefan was welcoming them inside and Caroline took another sip of her drink, then set it down. "Dinner is ready for us if you are?"

Both men nodded and Stefan walked toward her, offering her his arm. She raised from the chair and took it. Her walk was strong and powerful. She walked like a Queen. She was a Queen. Finn and Elijah followed behind them as Stefan led them to the dining room. She could already tell that they were nervous, but this show of elegance and grace was knocking them down further.

Approaching the table, Caroline was lead to the head. Stefan pulled out her chair and allowed her to sit, then went around opposite her. The Mikaelson brothers both stumbled into a chair and sat down. The wine glasses were already filled, but both she and Stefan had a warm glass of something else beside the wine. The brothers already seemed to recognize it.

Caroline smiled at both of them then let her fingers graze the edge of the wine glass. As if changing her mind, she shifted her hand to the blood and picked it up slowly. Finn had likely already seen Stefan drink before, given they met as Stefan was stealing blood bags, but Elijah was a baby Vampire hunter.

Her eyes locked with his and she raised the glass to her lips. She took a small sip, then another one after it, and returned the glass to the table. Her tongue flicked out across her top lip and her teeth caught her bottom one, making sure that there was no blood stain there. The veins around her eyes had shadowed slightly, and then she sat back comfortably as the man caught his breath. He had finally looked away.

She looked at Stefan who was glaring at her and shook his head. Caroline shrugged and looked over at Finn. "So, Doctor Mikaelson. Stefan was telling me that you two met each other in Boston while you were still at Medical School. It must have been a shock to learn that Vampires existed. I must wonder why you never told anyone, and more importantly, why you think it is so ethical to use Vampire blood to heal your patients. Not very good at your job if you have to resort to 'magic', are you?"

Stefan was definitly glaring at her now and she shrugged again. "Pardon my dear sister for sounding so rude. What she means to ask is, why do you resort to using blood, and why did you keep our secret?"

"Is she your sister?" Elijah asked.

Caroline smiled at Stefan then turned towards Elijah, who was staring hard at his plate. He clearly was scared to look at her again. "What makes you ask that? Is it so unreasonable to believe that I am his sister?"

Elijah glanced up at her, then turned himself towards Stefan. She was being ignored. How... juvenile. "I noticed that you placed her at the head of the table, and she introduced herself as Forbes, while you went with Salvatore."

Caroline shook her head slightly at Stefan. He seemed to get the message. "I do not believe that my family is something that we should discuss right now."

"Then what should we be discussing? What you're doing in Mystic Falls? Or what you want with my family?" Finn had finally spoke now, and Caroline tilted her head to the side to study the doctor. He was even more scared than Elijah, it seemed.

Stefan spoke again, for the both of them it seemed. This was starting to annoy her. "Why don't we enjoy our dinner, then we can discuss this more."

.:| The Lone Pup |:.

"Oh, come on, Becca! Let me have a look too!" Kol was trying to get the Grimoire from Rebekah as she began flipping through the pages.

Klaus was sitting across from them, staring at a blank sheet of paper with his pencil in hand. Since Henrik's death, the young boy was all that Klaus could sketch, but now, a set of blue eyes with blonde hair filled his mind instead. He kept trying to brush it aside, but something about her called to him. He wanted to bow down before her, and at the same time, take control of her. It was all driving him crazy, and he couldn't flush these thoughts.

"It's my grimoire, Kol! Go away!"

She pushed on him and Kol fell back, dropping the Grimoire he had held in his hands. It came open near the center of the book. Rebekah went to pick it up, but stopped as she read the top of the page. "Hey, come look at this. 'The Original Family.'"

Klaus ignored them as Kol and Rebekah began to read to themselves. There was a flipping of pages and a whine from Kol that he hadn't finished reading the previous page, and then Rebekah gasped.

"What is it?" he asked, curious as to what could have silenced his younger siblings. They didn't say anything and he looked up to see that both of them had gone white, and Rebekah's eyes were wide.

"What did Caroline say her last name was?"

"She didn't say Forbes, did she Nik? Please tell me she didn't say Forbes."

Klaus rushed out of the chair and pushed his two siblings aside to see what the book said. His eyes scanned and he flipped back to the previous page. Oh God. Oh God, his brothers were in a house alone with Original Vampires. Oh God.

He pushed himself up off the floor and was running to his phone. He dialed Elijah and got his voicemail. He tried Finn and got the same. He had to go find them. He had to stop them. Elijah had wanted to stake her, and he was going to die tonight.

"Lock the door behind me and let no one in. If anyone knocks, ignore it. Don't open the door till I return."

They both just stared at him as he grabbed his keys and ran out the front door. Bekah slammed the door shut behind him and locked it, then turned and looked at Kol, who pulled her into his arms to wait for their siblings.

.:| The Queen of the Heartless |:.

"I must confess, I am a still a little surprised that you both actually managed to come, without more of your siblings tagging around, and have sat so patiently through this meal."

Stefan was sitting back in his chair as the plates were cleared away, and Caroline rolled her eyes. The entire meal, the men had been having a conversation about Finn's studies and Stefan's adventures. Elijah had added in the occasional commentary. Stefan knew how annoyed Caroline was.

"We didn't have much of a choice," Elijah muttered, and Stefan shook his head.

"Regardless of our earlier words, we will not harm any of you."

"Unless you try to harm us," Caroline added, locking eyes with Stefan. He bowed his head slightly in agreement.

"Why don't we move to the sitting room for drinks, and we can discuss our purpose here in your quaint little town."

Stefan rose from his chair and Caroline waited as he came to her, offering his arm. She took it and rose from her seat. They walked through the house to the front room and Stefan poured four glasses of scotch. Caroline accepted her drink cooly, but inside she was seething. The other two men had been ignoring her the entire night, and Stefan was letting this happen. This was not an old boys club. She was the one in charge here.

"Before I begin, let me please point out that what we intend to do here will not result in permanent death, nor even the return as a Vampire. We have a spell that must be cast, and soon, with the help of someone close to your family. After it has been performed, we will disappear, and you will have no worry of us again."

Both men nodded to Stefan, who was sitting down in his normal arm chair, while Caroline stood beside the fire. It had gone on long enough that Stefan controlled the talking, and she would let him get it all out before she stepped in to speak. The longer they ignored her, the bigger her plans for them became. Stefan would forgive her in a century or two for destroying the town.

"A thousand years ago, a curse was placed upon some of those in our little family. A curse that has kept their true nature locked up. In order to destroy the curse, we must use the blood of the doppelganger. That doppelganger is your girlfriend, Elijah. Katherine."

Elijah stood up in shock but Finn jerked him back down. Stefan raised his hands as if to calm them. "As I previously said, we will not kill her. We simply need some of her blood."

"How do you know she is the doppelganger?"

"Because she looks exactly like his dead bitch of a wife."

Elijah and Finn's mouths both dropped and Caroline swirled the liquor in her glass. The scotch didn't sting enough to burn away the bad taste of mentioning Tatia from her mouth. Stefan turned and glared at her. She shrugged her shoulders.

"What? Tatia was a bitch, and a whore for that matter. Good thing she was a whore, though, or else no doppelganger would exist."

Stefan was clearly angry at Caroline's words and she shrugged again. Tatia had been a whore, having a child with another man before she married Stefan. Why he had even bothered having interest in a woman that had a child out of wedlock was beyond her. This time she did take a sip of her drink, and noticed that Stefan's jaw was clenched. He clearly had no ability to finish this conversation.

"Look, you want the truth of the matter? Then I will set out all our cards for you. We require the blood of the doppelganger to break a curse. Our resident witch can make certain she will not die, and then we will leave. All we need from your family is to keep her protected. And, we want to help you train your sister. Bonnie is very good at training young witches, and it is better she learn to grasp her powers now than lose control later."

Elijah and Finn both looked at Stefan, and Elijah asked, "Stefan, is this true?"

Caroline had had enough of them ignoring her. She threw her empty tumblr at the wall, making both of the men jump. The glass shattered all over the floor and she turned back to face them, anger written across her face. "Is my word not good enough for you? Well, it should be, given the fact that what I say is what happens. Stefan may be the 'noble' one, but I am a whole new force of nature that you have never encountered."

Elijah and Finn both stared at her in shock and Stefan had his head in his hands. She wasn't quite sure whether he was mad at her for losing her temper, or upset because she had insulted Tatia, but she had had enough of the garbage. She turned away from them and walked to get herself another drink. She was opening up the bottle when she felt the stake enter her back.

"You fucking idiots..." she heard Stefan mutter, and Caroline stood there, feeling the blood drip down her back. It had only grazed her heart, and regardless, this was plain wood. She turned around slowly to see a scared Elijah, staring at her, almost like he was expecting her to die.

She was fuming. She had been nothing but polite and they had come here trying to stake her. She tried to keep her Vampire face from coming out, telling herself that she needed this hunter to protect her doppelganger, but the feeling of blood running down her back was too much for her to ignore. The werewolf that had been kept at bay within her was rising out, and she wanted more than anything to shift forms and rip him to shreds.

She reached one hand over her shoulder and yanked out the stake, then threw it onto the ground. The spot began to heal up, and Elijah tried to back away from her. She let him and turned to look at Stefan, who was standing in front of Finn. "Caroline, do not do this. We need their help."

"Their HELP? He just tried to STAKE me, Stefan. Fuck their help, I am going to rip his fucking heart out."

Elijah was backed up against the wall, staring at her in shock. "How aren't you dead? I staked you. You should be dead."

She whipped her head around to stare at Elijah, keeping her Vampire fangs in as she spat out at him, "You missed my heart. And even still, regular wood? Show some RESPECT. I am an Original."

Caroline flashed forward and grabbed Elijah by his neck. She lifted him up so his feet were off the ground and Elijah had both hands wrapped around her wrist. "Let me tell you a little something, hunter. There are many evil creatures that walk this earth, but there are none so dark and evil as me. I taught them everything they know."

"How?" Elijah gasped out, and Caroline raised an eyebrow and laughed. Even facing death, this man was trying to learn more about them.

"I was the first Vampire created. When the spell was cast, it was performed on me first. I am part werewolf and part vampire. I am the oldest, strongest, and most powerful vampire alive, and soon, I will be a hybrid as well. Right after I drain your little girlfriend dry of her blood."

Her fangs descended and she considered how to kill him. His blood was full of vervain, but she wanted to know how it felt to drain dry, just as the doppelganger would soon enough. She considered just ripping his heart out, but then Stefan spoke up behind her.

"Don't do this, Caroline. He was only trying to protect his family."

Caroline dropped Elijah to the ground, and the man began to gasp for air, holding his neck. She turned back to Stefan and considered killing the Doctor that he was protecting. How could he even ask her to spare Elijah? He knew the temper that was within her. Had this been any other town, he wouldn't have even dared to ask something like this of her. Stefan was going soft just as she was coming towards her true power. "His FAMILY? I have been protecting our family for a thousand years. He just tried to kill me."

"But you didn't die, Caroline. And he has learned to not play with you. You can't do this Caroline."

Caroline raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms over her chest. "Not only can I, Stefan, but I have to. I have a reputation to uphold."

Stefan's look was hard and she raised her chin and glanced over at Elijah, who was working his way closer to the front door, as if he could escape her. She began walking towards him then glanced back over her shoulder and said, "Moreover, I want to."

She grabbed Elijah by his hair and dragged him into the middle of the front hallway. She knocked everything off the table and picked him up just to slam him down on the middle of the table. She held him down by his neck and looked down at him, struggling beneath her.

"Hmm, how to kill you. Should I cut up your body so that you will slowly die from blood loss? No, my ripper might not be able to resist. Maybe I should bleed the vervain from your system, then drink you dry? No. Would you like a stake to your chest? I'll stake you where you staked me. It was actually quite painful."

"Caroline, please."

Stefan was approaching her and she turned slowly on her heels to glare at Stefan. "You may save one, Stefan Salvatore. Would you rather save this hunter that tried to kill me, your oldest friend, or save the woman that looks just like your dead slutty wife. You may choose one, and the other will die."

Stefan's calm mask dropped and went to shock, making Caroline laugh. "You think I didn't see right through Bonnie's request? I knew the second that Petrova blood came into the mix, I could no longer trust you."

Her hand settled over Elijah's heart, ready to rip it out, when the front door burst open and she saw Klaus standing there. He looked at her in shock, then down at his brother, and Finn yelled out, "Run, Niklaus!"

Instead, Klaus was foolish enough to step inside. "The Salvatore brothers. The Grayson siblings of the doppelganger. The Bennett witch. The Richardson Werewolf. And the Williamson Alpha, of the Forbes blood line. The Original Family."

Caroline raised an eyebrow. "Well, I am surprised. It seems like someone here actually did their research. Yes, Sheriff Mikaelson. We seven are the Original Family. And I am the Alpha. Your brother was stupid enough to try and kill me tonight, with a regular stake that didn't even hit my heart, of all things. What do you have to say for that?"

"We'll do what you want. Whatever you want. We won't fight you. We won't try to kill you. Just let him go. Please."

Caroline tilted her head to the side and studied him. Something was different about him. Earlier he had been scared of her somewhat, but now... He was aroused. She thought earlier that it had been his younger brother that was enchanted by her, but no, it was this young soon to be wolf. She released her grip on Elijah and walked forward to Klaus. He stood still, watching her as she approached.

"You do not fear me," she said, and studied him. He shook his head no. She let her Vampire fangs recede.

"What do you feel?"

"Torn," he whispered, and she smiled.

"I know far more about you than you do yourself, Niklaus Mikaelson."

"Tell me," he asked, and she tossed the idea around for a moment. It would be lovely to play with him for a bit.

"How about I give you a little hint. There is a good reason as to why you are torn, little wolf. Part of you is bowing before my superiority over you, while your blood is calling for you to try and take control. Your ancestors have had much the same problem, but let me tell you, I always win."

Klaus' eyes had gone wide at the term little wolf. She smiled at him. "Ah, I can see the wheels turning. There is so much for you to learn, but one day at a time."

"Let my brothers go," he said, more of a statement than a request. She studied him for a moment, then nodded.

She turned towards Elijah and picked him up with one hand, then shoved him out her front door. He stood there in shock and just watched her. "You're free to go."

She then turned to Finn, who had taken a step back. She walked towards him, then gave him a smile. "Thank you so much, Dr. Mikaelson, for joining us this evening. For your part, it was enjoyable."

Finn nodded then ran out of the house. Klaus turned to leave as well, but Caroline flashed to stand in front of him. She looked him up and down, taking in the long sleeved open shirt he wore and the necklaces at his neck. She had to ask him about those later. Instead, she leaned forward slightly and whispered into his ear, "You are a hot piece of ass, but tell me what to do again, and I will kill you."

She pulled away and watched as Klaus stared at her for a minute, then walked out her door. She shut the door behind him, then turned to Stefan who was staring at her with his jaw dropped.

"What the fuck just happened?" he asked.

Caroline shrugged her shoulders and glanced at the shut door. A smile quirked across her face as she heard their cars leaving. Oh yes, he would be a fun one to play with. "His Alpha blood is stronger than Tyler's. Granted, the Lockwoods were second to the Forbes at the time, but you would think that being so old would make him more powerful."

"And so you gave him what he wanted? You let his brother live?"

Caroline turned to face Stefan with an evil smile across her face. "Sometimes, Stefan, sudden brutality is best. Other times, planning revenge is much more sweet."

She sniffed the air one more time, and Stefan did as well. He moved closer to where Klaus had been standing, then shuddered. "Please tell me that is not what I think it is. Was he actually turned on by you?"

Caroline glared at Stefan. "Seriously? A guy can't be attracted to me?"

"You had your hand on his brother's heart and yet his arousal was strong enough for me to smell 10 feet away."

Caroline let a smile slide out as she glanced back towards the door that he had disappeared from. It had been more than just attraction, true. He had wanted her. He had seen her, Vampire fangs and veins and all, and he had wanted her. She had been ready to kill his brother, and all he wanted was to lose control with her.

It was a pity he was so below her. She was never one to sleep with humans. They were so weak and fragile. And he had werewolf blood. The only way he had a chance with her was if he was a hybrid. He hadn't even activated his gene yet. No, he had no chance with her... but she would get the highest amount of pleasure from playing with him.

"Perhaps this is a good thing."

"What? How can it be a good thing that he wants you?"

Caroline rolled her eyes and looked at Stefan with a smirk. "Think about it. He is a part of the group protecting my doppelganger, and he is the town sheriff. He wants me, and we can use him. He can play my little spy."

"Caroline, you know Elijah has all of his siblings on vervain by now."

She was already walking towards the stairs, ready to shower off the blood from her back and have a long rest. Hopefully without any dreams. "There are ways of getting information from a man without compulsion."

She paused halfway up the stairs, hearing Stefan's sigh. "I'm going to make them pay for this, Stefan."

She turned around to see him looking at the shut door. He sounded sad, as if he actually cared for the humans. "I know."

.:| The Lone Pup |:.

Klaus' car was following behind Elijahs, but his eyes were hardly on the road. He still wasn't quite sure what had happened. The drive over to the mansion was a blur with the information of the grimoire running through his head. He wasn't quite sure how the book contained so many secrets, but what he had just seen scared him. Well, it should have scared him...

She was beautiful. Unbelievably so. Her pale skin covered in those dark veins, and white fangs behind blood red lipstick. The dress had clung to every lithe curve, and her long legs were calling to be wrapped around his body. He had wanted her. Every part of him wanted her, just like that. She was a dark enchantress.

And he was a wolf. He didn't even know until tonight that werewolves existed until he saw the title beside the name Richardson. What was a werewolf? He had never changed with the moon, as the stories said, so then what had she truly meant? He could only hope that the secrets would be revealed in the grimoire, but that was too much to hope for.

He suddenly realized he was in front of their house and got out to help Finn with Elijah. They approached the door and he fumbled with his keys to open the door. On the other side was Rebekah with a bottle of vervain water in each hand and Kol holding a gun. The gun was dropped to the ground at the sight of Klaus, and Rebekah rushed to hug him.

Elijah and Finn came inside and Elijah sat down hard into the nearest chair. Finn was trying to take his blood pressure, but Elijah just brushed him away, saying he would be ok. Klaus held Rebekah as she cried and got her to sit down on the sofa while Kol locked the door behind them.

"What the hell happened?" Kol asked.

Finn shook his head, then looked at Klaus. "I have no idea. He staked her, and yet she didn't die. What were you saying about the Original family?"

"My grimoire. There is a whole section on the Original family," Rebekah was sniffing now, and got up to go get the book. Kol went to the kitchen to grab beers, and Klaus knew that he needed one.

"Yes, but what the hell is the Original family? Caroline had just called herself an Original, and then you came in listing off names. And why didn't the stake work?"

"I missed her heart. Oh God, no one tell Alaric I fucked up my first Vampire kill," Elijah said, putting his head into his hands. Finn patted him on the back then looked at Klaus, who was still in a daze.

"A stake won't kill them. They're powerful. They are the Original Vampires. From them, all Vampires were created." And Caroline was their leader. He could see that she was the strongest of them, by the way that Stefan had seemed to fear her, and she was listed in the book as the Alpha. It didn't take a genius to realize what that meant.

Rebekah had returned with her grimoire and sat back on the sofa, flipping through the pages. Kol came in with four beers and handed one to Klaus. He didn't even take a sip of it. He didn't want the crisp taste of a beer. He wanted the burn of whiskey. Strong whiskey.

"Alright, here we go. It lists off the Original Vampires, says they were the product of a spell to save them from a plague, and that there is no real way to cure them. They were hurt by sunlight, vervain, and wood, but not even those would actually kill them. It says the spell was done with the blood of a Petrova at the base of a tree and it was mixed with vervain. That's why vervain and wood hurt them."

"Alright then, we already knew some of that, but what else does it say?" Elijah asked in between gulps of his beer. Klaus handed his own over to his brother.

"Well, that's it."

"Alright, and how does this grimoire have information about it?" Finn asked, confused.

Rebekah shrugged. "Mother always said that I had Fell blood in me, but I never understood what that meant until now. It says in the front of it that this is the Fell witch bloodline, which originated here in Mystic Falls."

"Where the Originals were created as well." Klaus surmised, and Rebekah nodded.

A silence settled over the group. Klaus stared at the book for a moment, wanting to look for anything about werewolves, but he didn't want his younger siblings to know. He wasn't sure if his elder ones realized what had been said earlier.

"Let me see the list of the Originals again. Caroline said there were seven."

Rebekah handed the book to Klaus, and he scanned through them all. It looked like there was seven listed here. He flipped the page, looking for more information on each, and instead just found more information about how to make a daylight ring and the best ways to use vervain. He flipped another page and found - a drawing of Caroline.

She looked beautiful. There was a smile on her face and a sparkling in her eye. Whoever had drawn her had seen a beautiful woman, full of innocence and light. What had happened over a thousand years to change her so? Was any of that light still left?

He flipped the page again, and found what he hadn't realized he was looking for. "I just found more details on the Originals themselves. Listen to this:

The seven Originals were created with a single spell that bound them all together with the blood of their dying friend. She was the twin sister of Elena Petrova, daughter of Grayson. They also had a brother who was turned with them, Jeremy. The husband of the Petrova Doppelganger was Stefan Salvatore, who had recently come to the village with his elder brother Damon. Damon and Elena were also promised. They were turned by their friend, a Bennett witch, by the name of Bonnie. Bonnie kept her powers after the transformation, even though they were all technically dead and she should have been cut off from the witch spirits.

The last two Originals were the best friend of the Bennett witch, Caroline, and her promised, Tyler. Tyler, son of Richardson, was to take over the village council. He carried the Lockwood gene of the werewolves. Caroline, daughter of William, was to take over the pack. Her father carried the Forbes Alpha bloodline. The spell was performed at the order of Caroline, and she was the first to drink, and the first to die. She is the most powerful of the group."

There was a silence over the group for a moment, then Rebekah asked, "Does it say anything else?"

Klaus flipped through the next few pages and saw nothing else about the Originals. He shook his head no, then turned back to the drawing of Caroline. She was part werewolf. Just like him. And she was engaged to Tyler, a Lockwood. Lockwood?

"The Lockwoods are werewolves," Klaus said, then looked up at the group. He pursed his lips for a moment, tossing around what Caroline had earlier said at the Grill. His mind started to tick as he thought about it all, and his eyes went wide. "She called me little wolf, and asked if we knew the Lockwoods. Esther cheated on Mikael with a Lockwood. I'm part werewolf."

Rebekah jumped up, shaking her head. "Mother never cheated on Mikael. He only said that to make you angry. Mother never would have cheated."

Klaus laughed at Rebekah. "Are you ignoring all the signs? She called me a wolf. She recognized the Lockwood scent. She knows things about me, Bekah. She can read me like an open book."

Elijah looked away from him, as though he knew something. "What is it, Elijah?"

Elijah was looking at his hands, then glanced up. "I know rather little about werewolves, but what I do know is this. Their anger is always getting the better of them, and they tend to be a little stronger than most. And that is before they have activated the gene. You do show the signs of being a potential werewolf."

Finn was looking uncomfortable as well and he glared at his eldest brother. "Anything to add?"

Finn shrugged a little, then said, "Mother was never very happy. Even back when I was little. And she was always very close with the Lockwoods. I remember many times being at their house."

A silence settled over the group, as if that confirmed it.

"What I want to know," Elijah spoke up finally, "is why she let us go."

"Because of Niklaus. Niklaus came in, and she changed her tune."

"What makes you say that? Maybe she was going to let you both go all along."

"She wasn't," Elijah said. "Stefan begged her to stop, but she yelled at him and said she had to. That she wanted to. And then you came in and told her not to kill me, and then she didn't."

Rebekah and Kol were just staring at him, and Klaus shrugged. If he didn't know any better, he would think she was interested in him. She had even called him attractive, in her own way. He wasn't quite sure what to make of it all, and he wasn't sure if it was a good or a bad thing that the Original Werewolf Vampire was interested in him.

"We can use this to our advantage. If she has an interest in you, Nik, you could be a good distraction."

Klaus glared at his little sister. "I think she is smart enough to realize when a man is trying to distract her. I doubt she has any interest in me."

A silence settled on the group again, and Klaus shrugged. "I'm going to bed. I have work in the morning. Everyone make sure they drink their vervain."

Klaus walked out of the room, still holding the grimoire, ready to get some answers.

* * *

**Did you love it? I tried! I have finally caught up responding to all of the reviews, but if I missed you, I'm sorry! I need more reviews to respond to!**

**Beta : Livingdeadblondegirl**

Cover : Swinty81 - OH MY GOD IT IS FABULOUS! I have the full size version up on my tumblr, and oh my god it is amazing! Like, I'm in love with this girl! It was everything I could ever imagine, but then better!

Shout Out : Cassie : I LOVE YOU! Please please please somehow get an account either on tumblr or FFnet and let me love you! I adore everything you say!

Tumblr : Interested in what Caroline was wearing? Check out my tumblr under the Queen of the Heartless Tag. I have outfits up from Polyvore (same username).

Next Update : Normally I have another chapter or two already written before I post. That being said, I was gone all weekend and didn't write yesterday. I'm already three pages into Ch 6, but that doesn't mean squat. The chapter isn't done till I'm done saying what I need to. I'm hoping for Thursday, to give us all Klaroline feels before the episode, but it may be Friday.


	7. Chapter 6 : Punishment

**Chapter Six : Punishment**

Caroline was laying in her bed, staring at the ceiling, when the music began. It was loud and full of low deep notes with high pitched squealing, and she immediately assumed that Tyler must be awake. Of course he would love this rubbish; only a stripper would dance to this trashy music. A few seconds later, she heard banging on a door. She half considered letting Stefan deal with whatever was going on until she heard the yelling.

"Turn off the fucking music, Anna."

Ah, she had forgotten about Anna. So that was who started playing music at - she glanced over towards the clock on the mantel - four in the morning. Had she even gotten any sleep at all?

She needed to get Bonnie to spell the room so no one could hear anything coming from it, then she could enjoy quiet while she tried to sleep. Of course, overhearing things was useful at the same time... How many days had it been that they were all in the same house? Two? A little under? She was surprised it had taken this long for the fighting to start.

The banging began again, and she heard the music turn up louder. Tyler was practically screaming at the door now. "Turn off the fucking music or I'll rip your heart out."

Caroline flashed out of her bed and down the hallway. She grabbed Tyler by the arm that had been raised and jerked it behind his back. She threw her weight into him and the door crashed open, revealing a dancing Anna. She screamed as they fell in and Caroline got off of Tyler. He flipped over onto his back, ready to fight whoever had knocked him down, but Caroline had already bent back down and grabbed his neck.

"What the FUCK, Caroline?"

She picked him up by his neck and slammed him back down. "Do not touch Anna. I can actually control her without having to get my hands dirty. Threaten her again and I WILL torture you for the next century."

She heard another set of feet coming down the hallway. She immediately knew it was Stefan, but she didn't bother looking up at him. Tyler was staring at her in shock and nodded while Anna stood to the side, eyes wide.

"For the love of God, Caroline, put some clothes on."

Caroline looked over her shoulder to Stefan, was impeccably dressed as per usual. Had he even gone to bed, or did he always sleep in his suits? She rolled her eyes at him then looked down at Tyler. The idiot had already gone from scared to aroused once he was made aware of her naked state, and she released his neck, only to kick him between his legs. Tyler curled up, cringing, as Caroline rose to stare at Stefan.

"It's not like you haven't see me naked before."

She crossed her arms under her breasts, making them rise up slightly, and Stefan turned away while he removed his jacket. She stepped forward and took it from him to slide it on, then turned towards Tyler again. "Now, go back to your room, and stay there. Make any more noise, and I might just cut off your dick."

Tyler glared at her for a moment, then flashed out of the room, pushing Stefan from the doorway slightly. The door to Tyler's room slammed shut and Caroline rolled her eyes. She muttered under her breath about him being an idiot, then turned back to Anna, who was still standing there in shock.

The phone that was on the bed beeped, and before Anna could move towards it, Caroline already had it in her hand. She opened up the home screen and saw that the girl had a text message. Opening it, she saw a name come across with a flirty wink that made Caroline smile. "Oh, my little Anna. You have been texting Kol Mikaelson. You have started to prove your worth."

Stefan had stepped into the room to come look at the phone, but Caroline shook her head. "Oh no, Stefan. You know that the Mikaelsons have a bit of punishment coming. I think it about time they taste their own medicine."

Stefan stood still, then bowed his head slightly. He walked towards the door and went to step out, but he paused for a moment. What was with them and always having a thought at the last second? "Remember, Caroline, that you cannot always alter your decisions. Make certain you want this before you act."

She had spent a thousand years thinking about breaking this curse. Nothing would make her pause now. Not even a petty little family of humans that Stefan wanted to protect because of their tie to the doppelganger. "I know."

Stefan was walking back to her room and Caroline turned back towards Anna, smiling. "Anna, I have a task for you."

The girl lowered her head. "Of course, Caroline. What would you have me do?"

Ah. Caroline had wondered at dinner the other evening if the girl had any proper manners left. The Originals had met Anna during a time that they were all Lords and Ladies, with Caroline herself being made a Duchess by Richard the Lionheart. She had befriended his mother, Eleanor of Aquitaine, when she had first come to court, and it seemed as though the English nobility knew not to ask questions.

How ironic, that a man fighting a Holy War had befriended those considered Damned. Even Damon, who was always moody at best, had gotten along well with the king. And somewhere along the way, a young handmaiden called Anna had caught the eye of Jeremy Grayson. She was lucky that Caroline hadn't staked her the moment she was turned.

It was because of Anna joining their little group that everything had begun to spiral. Jeremy had begun to kill more often, leaving a trail behind them wherever they went. Stefan had slipped off his bunny diet. Damon had begun to try and hide it all from Caroline, leaving Tyler free to cause his own havoc. Bonnie and Elena had continued to be oblivious to the destruction around them, and Caroline was left to clean up the entire mess.

And now, Anna was going to prove her worth. She still wouldn't undagger Jeremy, but this was a start to get back into Caroline's good graces for the young girl. "I'm going to release you to go to school today. You seem to already have a friendship with the young Mr. Mikaelson. Flirt with him and seduce him into a date tonight. Convince him to sneak out of the house. He is on vervain, so you cannot compel him. Once he texts you to say he is on his way to meet you, go cause him to wreck his car. Injure him badly, but do not kill him."

Anna nodded her head, eyes wide, and whispered, "Yes, Caroline."

"And after he is at the hospital, wait for his brother to feed him blood, then kill him."

Anna's head shot up and she burst out, "Kill him? You want him to turn?"

Caroline nodded her head and smiled at the girl. "But do not give him your blood. It must be Finn Mikaelson that gives him the blood. So, you must wait until this evening to wreck his car, so that his brother will be at the hospital during his accident."

Anna nodded her head, eyes wide, and bowed it again. "Of course, Caroline. Anything else?"

Caroline stepped forward and touched the girl's chin so that her eyes were brought up to meet her own. "You are free to leave this room to do as I have already commanded you. After your task is done, you will return to this house. You may not leave this house again after your task is done unless I say so. And you may not tell anyone of your plans."

Anna nodded and Caroline let the smile fade from her face. "Remember what is at stake, Anna. Do as I ask and you can have Jeremy back. Do not, and I will drop his crate to the bottom of the Atlantic Trench."

Anna's eyes went wide and she dropped to the ground on her knees, her head bowed low. Ah, yes. Now this was where the girl belonged. She may be a nine hundred year old vampire, but she would always be a lowly handmaid in Caroline's eyes. Caroline held no real affection for Jeremy after a thousand years of daggering him, but Anna still wasn't worthy of Elena's baby brother.

"Please, my Lady, I beg of you. Do not punish Jeremy. My only wish is to do your bidding and win back his freedom."

Caroline smiled and walked past the girl to the door. She tossed the phone back onto the bed as she walked, then looked back to see the girl was still down on her knees. So appropriate. It almost made Caroline want to grin. "Do as I command, and you will have your love back."

.:| The Honorable Nobleman |:.

Stefan could hear Caroline at the end of the hall, running the water in the bathtub. He jotted down the word 'sage' on a piece of paper and crept down the hallway slowly. He first reached Bonnie's door and opened it. The witch was inside, meditating, and Stefan wrapped his hand over her mouth. She didn't even bother to fight back, already recognizing his scent and knowing no harm would come to her. She read the note in his hand and nodded.

He slipped back out of the room and ran to Tyler's room. He opened the door and saw Tyler laying on his bed, eyes still open. Stefan put a finger over his lips and beckoned him to follow, and they slipped into Bonnie's room. The privacy spell was already burning as Stefan shut the door.

Bonnie was already sitting back on her bed, eyes closed with burning candles around her. Tyler had set himself down on the settee and Stefan pulled out the desk chair. He waited a moment for Bonnie to open her eyes, and she did after a moment. "I assumed you just wanted to talk in my room because of the spell. Did you actually need to talk to me about something?"

Stefan ignored her little taunt. Far too often Bonnie was only used for her witching ability. She, like Caroline, was often forgotten when it came down to things. He had tried to be better about maintaining a friendship with Bonnie, but it was hard when her loyalty was still tied to Caroline.

"I actually did want to talk with you."

"Is this about Caroline and how crazy she has gone?"

Stefan shot Tyler a look, then looked back at Bonnie. "Before I even begin, I want to clarify that I am not against Caroline in the slightest. I am hoping that your friendship with her can help her."

Bonnie nodded and the burning flames of the candles lowered slightly. Even as a supernatural being, Stefan never could quite get used to all of the witchcraft around him. Werewolves, Vampires, and Witches tended to not intermingle, and yet all three were semi-represented in their little group.

"Elijah Mikaelson attempted to stake Caroline tonight."

Tyler let out a blurt of a laugh, but Bonnie sat up straighter. "Is he still alive?"

Stefan shook his head no while trying to ignore Tyler. "She was going to. She even had her hand over his heart. His brother, Niklaus, came in and told her not to."

"Told her? No one tells Caroline what to do. Not even you. You ask, and you plead, but you do not command her." Tyler was now muttering to himself about Caroline always doing as she pleased.

"What's more is she actually listened. Not in the way that she did as he commanded, but in the way that she stopped as if... as if he interested her."

All of the candles in the room went out and Bonnie's eyes were locked with his. "In WHAT way? He is the one with the werewolf gene, correct?"

"Yes. The town sheriff. And he was clearly attracted to her, and she flirted with him."

Tyler sat up at that statement, his eyes thinning out. "What do you mean she flirted with him? Caroline only flirts if they have something she wants. Money... power... sex... There are only three things that drive her to deal with men, and he doesn't have any of them."

Stefan coughed at that one. "He is a child, but even I could see that he has Alpha blood in him. And she called him, as I do recall, a hot piece of ass."

Bonnie's eyes went wider while Tyler stood up suddenly. "What the fuck? Do you honestly think she would sleep with him?"

Stefan wished in that moment that he had broken Tyler's neck before dragging him into this conversation. Why had he involved him in this again? "Shut up, Tyler. Your envy is showing. You have had no right to Caroline for years. It is only her love for you when we were humans that allowed you to become like the rest of us, and you were the last to be turned. I recommend you shut up."

Bonnie nodded her head at Tyler idly, as if she was agreeing with what Stefan was saying. She was quiet for a moment, then said, "Caroline would sleep with him, if he is attractive. She likes her playthings. It is the fact she did as he said that twinges at me. Even with her playthings, she always maintains control. She would have killed his brother just to spite him, and still taken him to bed."

Bonnie nodded her head, sadly. Her friend just wanted them to all be protected and safe, and then foolish humans had to step in. "Alright then. And what do you want me to do?"

"Be her friend? Distract her some? Take her shopping? We have already been here three days and she seems to be verging on having a mental breakdown. Caroline is the strongest of all of us, but even she can become overwhelmed. She needs to have a relaxing day."

Bonnie nodded, and then both their eyes landed on Tyler. Tyler was looking at them both and shrugged. "What?"

"Tyler, have you been picking at Caroline again?"

Tyler glared at Bonnie. "I don't have to answer to you, witch."

Tyler was suddenly thrown to the floor, his hands holding both sides of his head. Stefan knew that Bonnie had to be giving him one hell of a headache. "Tyler Richardson, I am still stronger than you. I can desiccate you, if need be. Don't play that game with me. Why the hell do you always have to be mean to Caroline? You owe your life to her!"

"Some life," Tyler muttered after the pain was gone, and Stefan shook his head.

"She is trying to protect us." He was trying to reason with Tyler, but even Stefan's limitless patience for Tyler was running out.

"By daggering half of us?"

A silence settled over the room. There was nothing that could be said in response. She had daggered half of them, and the rest of them would likely have been daggered if Caroline could manage it. "She does it to protect us from whatever is after us. Things will be different after she breaks the curse."

Tyler shook his head. "You mean after she is invincible. After there is no way for us to kill her anymore?"

Silence settled over them again, but Bonnie was the one to respond this time. "Try to not anger her further, Tyler, and when this is all over, you can run without any of us tracking you down. I give you my word that I will not use my powers to find you."

Stefan nodded as well. "I'll convince Caroline to let you go. You can go off and do as you choose. Just help us get through the next month."

Tyler glared at them both then nodded. "Fine. Whatever. Just get me the hell away from her when this is all over."

.:| The Lone Pup |:.

Klaus had been up most of the night, pouring through the pages of the Grimoire. Somehow, and he could only assume magically, the pages were all written clearly and in a language he understood. English hadn't been around a thousand years ago, when Rebekah had said the book originated. And yet still, he could read every word.

He had easily found the section on werewolves, but the curiosity that had earlier been ripping through him had disappeared. Instead, he was reading the rest of it. Reading about the spirit world, ghosts, spells, and vampires. He saw a variety of useful things and read about a number of different supernatural happenings throughout history, and now all that was left was werewolves. This was one of the largest sections of the book, but he couldn't bring himself to read it.

The first page that he was staring at began the history. Whenever and wherever Werewolves had been created, the grimoire had no idea. All it said was that it was a curse that had been placed upon a family. There was no way to alter or avoid the curse. If someone carried the gene, then their children would carry it as well. The strongest of the werewolves were Alphas - those that had proven themselves to be the strongest. The book assumed that the eldest brother carried the Alpha blood, and only those of his bloodline could become an Alpha.

So, the Forbes' family line was based from the eldest werewolf in mankind's history. This was why she called herself the Original Alpha. She didn't just carry werewolf blood in her. She carried THE line of werewolf blood. This made her faster, stronger, and more powerful than any other werewolf she encountered. And she had the power of a Vampire behind her as well.

Klaus closed the book, not even wanting to read more. His eyes glanced over to the clock beside his bed and realized it was almost time for him to get up for the day. He groaned and laid back down, not wanting to move. He had spent all night reading the grimoire and hadn't even really reached the section he had set out to research all along. It was going to be a long day.

.:| The Queen of the Heartless |:.

Caroline was looking around her room again and began to grow annoyed. Yes, Stefan had supplied all of the beautiful little details that related to the old world, but they lived in the twenty first century. Nowhere in this house was there a television nor even a computer. She had her phones, at least, but that wasn't enough. She was going to make some serious changes around here.

A knock was at the door and she opened it to see Bonnie. The girl was smiling and Caroline remembered her earlier promise to go shopping. Perfect. They could go find a new vehicle or two, purchase clothing, and perhaps have a normal day.

It took only a few phone calls to establish that nowhere in town had a suitable car for her to use, and she wasn't using the limo again. Caroline needed to go fast, and so she was going to have a fast car. There was no way she was running to Richmond. Now, she and Bonnie were walking through town while Caroline tried to find the vehicle she wanted to borrow for the day.

And then she found it, sitting in front of City Hall, parked in the Mayor's spot. A Mercedes-Benz SL 350. It was practically brand new, sleek and black, and she could even roll the top down. This was exactly what she wanted. How could a small town mayor afford this? Her eyes looked over at Bonnie, who just shrugged as if she didn't care.

Caroline walked inside and compelled her way straight to the Mayor's office. She asked for the keys and reminded him that his car was in the shop. A few seconds later, she was sliding inside of her new vehicle. Bonnie hopped in as well, and once the top was down, both girls shared a smile.

Two minutes later and they were speeding down 29 towards the interstate. They had already passed two cops, but Caroline just kept driving. She had no time or patience to deal with small town idiots, and she was barely going over the speed limit. Once they hit the interstate, Caroline was pushing it hard at 140. It felt good to have the wind knocking her hair about and she could see the happiness shining across Bonnie's face. This was what they needed.

The entire drive took less than forty-five minutes, and the girls both hopped out at a car dealership. Both of them were eyed, both for their looks and the vehicle they arrived in, but Caroline ignored them all. Bonnie was asking questions about a Ford Fusion Hybrid, and when she saw the girl nodding and grinning at her, Caroline pulled out her card. Whatever Bonnie wanted, Bonnie would get.

It took a few minutes to get Bonnie away from her new vehicle, and after compelling someone to deliver it to Mystic Falls, they were back on the road again. Bonnie was looking out the window of the now covered Benz, and let out a little sigh. Caroline looked over to her and let out a burst of laughter. Bonnie was annoyed as she looked over. "What, Caroline?"

Caroline was all out laughing now. "So, you missed riding a Ford so bad that you have to buy another one a century later?"

Bonnie smacked her on the arm and Caroline laughed even harder. They were traveling down West Broad now, and she could see the dealership she had been looking for with a Land Rover logo on the outside of the building. She pulled in to it, chuckling, and when they got out of the vehicle, she could hear Bonnie mutter "I wasn't sleeping with him."

Caroline glanced at her from over top of the vehicle, rolling her eyes slightly. "Yeah, sure Bonnie. You were too busy reading 'The International Jew' because you were interested in the reading material. Don't forget, I was at that meeting where you introduced Henry to Edison."

A few eyes were on them and their vehicle but Caroline ignored it. She could compel silence and ignorance from them later. Her voice raised in pitch as she tried to imitate her friend. "Oh, Tommy, you just HAVE to work with Mr. Ford. His ideas are just so lovely. Just think about it, Tommy..."

Bonnie slapped her on the arm again, but Caroline was already on a roll. "Oh, Mr. Ford, I just love this design you have. You have to show me more later. Oh, please Mr. Ford. I've always wanted to ride something like this."

Even Bonnie was laughing now and the girls shared a hug. "Alright, yes. I was sleeping with him. He was fun to play with! I'm allowed a little fun every few centuries."

"He was MARRIED, Bonnie! And you're supposed to be the good girl of the group!"

"She was such a bore..."

"I still don't understand why you went for Henry Ford... Should have gone for Harvey Firestone. Those genes are delicious... His great grandson was on one of those stupid American reality tv shows about finding love with a number of women around, oh I guess you don't know what reality tv is, anyway, he is even more delicious than than Harvey..."

"And were you sleeping with him?"

"Which one? Well, not that it matters. I've fucked them both."

The girls were idly walking down the rows of vehicles while Caroline dismissed anyone that tried to help, and she found what she had been looking for. Her eyes lit up and even Bonnie stared at it absently. "I must admit, they don't make them like they used to, Caroline."

"You're right. Harvey actually enjoyed me drinking from him. No compulsion needed. Andrew was worried I would leave a scar."

Caroline laughed and walked up to the vehicle. She glanced over the sticker on the outside then nodded, knowing this was what she wanted. A brand new Land Rover Range Rover Sport HSE LUX. The vehicle was already black and she could have the windows tinted darker. This was exactly what she had been looking for.

A sales attendant was nearby and Caroline flicked her wrist, beckoning him. After a few minutes of talk, Caroline had already swiped her card and signed for it. A bit of compulsion later, and the vehicle was on it's way back to Mystic Falls. This was a good day.

"Now can we go shopping?" Bonnie asked.

Caroline rolled her eyes. "We are shopping, and at least I know what I want."

"I mean, for clothes! And some plants! Oh, Caroline, can I have some plants in my room?"

Caroline looked at her friend and saw a bit of happiness there that had been gone for at least a few centuries. The weight of the world seemed to be on all their shoulders at times, and all Bonnie wanted was plants. "Of course, Bon. You can have a whole garden if you want. I'll call someone later today to come and talk with you about it."

Bonnie was beaming as they walked up to the front desk and Caroline asked about the last car she needed. The Range Rover had been for her to easily transport everything she needed, but she was part wolf and also needed speed. No one seemed to have it anywhere in town, so she growled and began considering to eat someone. She was rather hungry at this point, but then the scared girl offered to look in Washington DC. A couple clicks on the computer, and Caroline was staring at what she wanted.

"Perfect," she whispered, then looked back at Bonnie. Bonnie nodded her head at the vehicle, and Caroline had it on the way to her house. A blood red Chrysler SRT 6. Oh, it was a very good day.

Hopping back in the borrowed Benz, she used the GPS to find the nearest electronics store. She turned back up Broad, and when they walked inside, Bonnie was amazed. "I know, Bon. Things have changed in twenty years. Now, come on! We have to buy some things!"

The biggest televisions. The best speakers. A computer for everyone. A sound system for each of their new vehicles. Video games and DVDs. Everything that they would need. Numerous workers were following them around the store as they shopped, and Caroline didn't even blink when she swiped the card. The amount of money that she possessed was incomparable to anyone else. If Bonnie didn't want to use compulsion, then Caroline could just as easily use her money.

Caroline compelled someone to take all of their new electronics back to Mystic Falls, and Bonnie mentioned clothes shopping again. The attendant simply mentioned Short Pump off of 64, and they were both speeding back down the highway. The shopping area turned out to be exactly what they wanted, and Caroline purchased both of them dresses, outfits, and shoes. It was wonderful, to just be a young girl again. She had forgotten what it was like to just be carefree.

They were both starting to go hungry when Caroline spotted a pair of college boys. One was wearing a U of R hoodie while the other was in a Kappa Sig t shirt. Frat boys - even better. When was the last time she had dined on something quite like that? She knew Bonnie hadn't. Their taste had always been slightly older men - well older than the age they appeared, but this would be a fun new experience.

One little wink and a flick of her wrist, and Caroline had both boys behind a store. She was ready to drain hers dry, still craving to feel a heart stop in her hand, but Bonnie stopped her. A few seconds of compulsion, and the boys were on their way again. The one that Caroline had drank from had particularly beautiful blue eyes and curled blonde hair. Why did that seem so familiar to her?

They were racing back to the house when her private cell phone rang. She saw it was Tyler calling and she answered it, bracing herself for whatever chaos he had caused now. "Caroline? Why are there shit ton of delivery guys here?"

"Because I went shopping, Tyler. Each item is labeled on where they go. You're welcome."

"... What did you buy for me?"

"The normal. Laptop. Television. Gaming system. All of the goodies to keep you occupied. The only thing I didn't buy you was a vehicle, but I'm sure you have an idea on what you want."

The line was silent and she waited for Tyler to either hang up or get angry at her. Instead, she simply heard a muttered "Thank you." The line went dead, and Caroline rolled her eyes. She had no patience for him right now. No patience for any of it. She was finally settled in to Mystic Falls, and in a few hours, the Mikaelsons would realize their mistake for ever crossing her.

.:| The Lone Pup |:.

Klaus was drinking what had to be his third pot of coffee, but it was doing nothing for him. His eyes were closing every second he sat back for even a second, and the shrill of the phone ringing almost knocked him out of his chair each time. Well, the coffee was doing something to him. His heart was racing, and he couldn't make it stop. Everyone in the sheriff's office had given him odd looks throughout the day, and when he was finally there mostly alone, he pulled out the Grimoire that had been tucked down in the bottom drawer of his desk.

He had to read it. There was no more avoiding it. There were answers within these pages to questions he never would have asked nor fathomed that he would put together. And now, everything about the world he had ever understood was falling apart around him. He wasn't his father's child; his mother had cheated. He was part werewolf; whatever that meant. His sister was a witch, his youngest brother was dead, the next brother was being threatened, his eldest brother was using vampire blood to heal, and his closest brother had almost died the previous night. On top of it all, he was attracted to the deadly woman that had changed everything.

Of all the things he could have imagined existing in this world, nothing was quite like Caroline Forbes. She had this deadly grace to her that called out she could kill him; that told she could kill with the flick of her wrist. The fangs hanging down in her mouth had been beautiful and he wished he had a bit of blood dripping from them. He knew it was wrong, but something about her made his heart race, even more than the caffeine that coursed through his veins. He still remembered the bright smile she had given him at lunch the previous day and the ways her eyes had lit up, as if she knew some secret joke she wanted to share with him. He could tell that there was so much more to her than anyone else recognized.

And yet she was threatening to kill his family. He should hate her, and he knew this. Elijah and Finn had been up early, talking about the danger of the Originals and who they could call or what they could do to protect themselves. Alaric was on his way back into town to help Elijah, presumably with a witch or two in tow. It should surprise him that his brother's oldest friend and teacher was a Vampire hunter as well, but in truth, nothing seemed to shock him at this point. In a little over 24 hours, the world that he once knew had been turned upside down, then flipped yet again, and he was left on the other side of the universe, wondering how in the hell he ever got there.

The book now rested on his lap, open to the pages about werewolves. His eyes scanned it, and he started to read. At first, everything was fine. There were all the benefits of being a werewolf; he would be stronger, faster, and more durable. His eyesight and sense of smell would be stronger. He could heal faster and take more pain. All in all, he would be a super human.

And then he flipped the page.

There was a half man, half beast, looking as though he was ripped in two. Klaus couldn't bring himself to look at the drawing for more than a second and saw the reason why on the next page that the man looked to be in agony. There werewolf curse was truly a curse. Every full moon, his body would be forced to turn into a creature he couldn't control.

Klaus wanted to shut the book, but he instead flipped through the next few pages of stories. All about how wolfsbane would weaken a werewolf, and decapitation and heart removal could still kill them. He didn't need to be told that normal ways to die would still effect him. What he needed to know was how to avoid it.

But it wasn't there. There was nothing about stopping the werewolf gene from being activated. Every page simply said once it was activated. How was he supposed to activate it - or avoid it, for that matter - if he had no idea what the trigger was?

The phone on his desk began to ring, but he ignored it. It was after hours, and if it was really an emergency, then they would call his cell phone. He had no patience for someone complaining about dogs barking or kids playing music too loud. Not on a night like tonight.

The phone in his pocket then started to ring, and he looked at it to see Elijah was calling. He answered it, annoyed, and ready to berate his brother for bothering him at work. "What is it, Elijah? I'm still at the station."

"Niklaus? It's Kol. He's gone."

.:| The Obedient Handmaid |:.

Anna had waited just down the street from the Mikaelson home as she texted Kol to come meet her. Two minutes later, his car was traveling down the road. She waited for a minute before running out in front of it. The boy behind the wheel slammed on the breaks, but the roads were wet and it skidded into a tree just off the road.

His head had hit the steering wheel and she listened to his heartbeat, trying to determine how injured he was. Barely even a scratch, although he would likely cry over the broken nose. She grabbed him by his arm and yanked him from the vehicle. He should have been wearing his seatbelt.

Once Kol was on the ground, she raised her booted foot and slammed it down over his ribs. She heard the crunch on both sides. Excellent. That should require some Vampire blood without killing him too fast.

She pulled out her cell phone and dialed the police station. "Hello, is this the Sheriff's station? I'm calling to report an accident."**  
**

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**Betas : livingdeadblondegirl, a-little-blonde-distraction**

**Shout Out : Becky aka a-little-blonde-distraction, made a gorgeous poster. GORGEOUS! Go check it out on either of our tumblrs.**

**TVD Episode 4x16 : I don't want to talk about it. So please, no reviews about it. Every Klaroliner is going to be having a rough week. This was not the way to come back from a hiatus. Let's just stick together and be nice and pretend it didn't happen.**

**Reviews : They make me happy. I need happy right now.**


	8. Chapter 7 : A Blessing And A Curse

**Chapter Seven : A Blessing and A Curse**

Someone was banging on her door, but Caroline couldn't bring herself to open her eyes. Whatever it was, it could wait till morning. She could almost sense the sunlight trying to come in through her curtains, but that was still no reason to get out of bed. She had nothing to do that day, save for working on making the house more up to her standards.

The door flew open and Caroline jerked up in the bed, holding the blanket up to her naked form. Stefan was standing there, his vampire fangs dropped, and anger written across his face. "Why did I just get a phone call from Finn Mikaelson saying that Kol is in TRANSITION?"

Caroline rolled her eyes and laid back down. She could practically smell the anger wafting off her friend from where she lay. Seriously, that was why she was being woken up? Over the youngest Mikaelson brat? "I told you they were going to be punished for their decision to attack me, Stefan. I thought you understood that."

"So you force fed him your blood and killed him?" Caroline wanted to sit back up so Stefan could see her roll her eyes. Honestly, Stefan believed she would waste her valuable time just to turn some child? She had far better things to do.

"Actually, he had a terrible car accident, and his eldest brother chose to gave him blood - my blood - and then he somehow died while in the hospital. I had nothing to do with it. I believe you can blame Anna for that."

"Oh Caroline, how could you?" Bonnie had come to join Stefan in the doorway and Caroline sat up, growling slightly. Clearly, she wasn't going to be allowed to get any more sleep. She pushed the blankets down and hopped out of the bed. Stefan groaned and turned away from her but Bonnie just rolled her eyes and sat down on Caroline's bed.

Caroline had walked into her closet and pulled out a pair of sweatpants and a tank top. She pulled them on and coughed slightly towards Stefan, who turned around to see she was dressed. He, of course, was wearing a suit, minus the jacket, and had his sleeves rolled up. Bonnie was wearing one of the long loose dresses that she had always favored, and Caroline went back to sit on her bed.

"Please tell me one of you at least brought me a cup of tea, or better yet, breakfast."

Bonnie shook her head and Stefan glared at her. "Caroline, we are not in the middle of London. You cannot just turn people as you choose, nor do we have a house full of servants."

Caroline scoffed and muttered under her breath, "What a bloody terrible place that I don't even get to have someone making me my morning tea..."

"I am being serious with you here, Caroline. No more turning people."

"I told them the consequences of messing with me! Kol Mikaelson was not compelled to sneak out of his house, nor was he compelled to want to see Anna. I did not compel the Doctor to give his little brother my blood. They made their own choices, and now they have to live with them."

"They already lost one brother, Caroline. And now, they have lost another."

"Only if their hatred for our kind is greater than their love for their brother." Caroline was ready to start yelling at Stefan if he pushed this any further, but a silence then settled over the group. After a few moments, Bonnie finally spoke up.

"You have to fix this, Caroline."

Caroline looked to Bonnie and studied her for a moment. "I will help him with his new life, if they ask for it."

Stefan cross his arms and raised his eyebrow at her and Caroline groaned. "I'm not going to just offer to help him. It wasn't like we had any help."

"No, Caroline, but we did have each other."

Caroline's body stilled and her eyes went from looking down at her hands to looking up at Stefan. Her eyes thinned, and Stefan stepped back, almost as if he realized his mistake. Her eye twitched a little as she tried to control her anger, but the werewolf inside of her was demanding she rip out his throat for his statement.

"'We', Stefan? 'WE'? No, YOU all had each other. I was turned a full day before the rest of you. I drank first, and then I died. You were all ready to bury me. As if I didn't matter. You were all still too upset over Tatia being near death to even care about me. And then, when I came back to life, you all drank her blood as well and died. And for a full day, I was locked inside of the house, starving, trapped with the bodies of my dead friends around me."

"Caroline, I didn't mean it like that."

"Oh, you didn't Stefan? I spent the whole day starving and being sick any time I tried to eat or drink. I was DYING because I hadn't completed a transition I didn't know existed, and the first person that came to my door was drained dry because of my confusion and hunger. And when all of you awoke, I hid her dead body and brought you all someone to drink and helped you all stop in time."

Bonnie was trying to soothe Caroline, but she was too far gone now. If she could shift, she would have done so now. Her body was shaking from the anger that filled it. "And then, when you were all worried about each other, I realized I had activated my curse as well, and a few nights later I was forced to shift. So yes, Stefan, we all had each other. We all had each other as I screamed in the middle of my home, alone, and destroyed it while my body transformed. We all had each other when I saw the destruction I had caused. We all had each other when I buried my mother's dead body, alone. Now get out."

Stefan bowed his head slightly, then left the room. Caroline got off the bed and picked up the nearest thing, a vase, and threw it against the door that he had just shut. It shattered on to the floor. Caroline fell to her knees, gripping the beaded necklace that she had worn for a thousand years. The tears were aching to fall down her cheeks but she instead just shook, letting rage overtake her instead. She always told anyone that asked it had been from her first kill. She never actually admitted out loud that it was her mother.

.:| The Charming Newborn |:.

Opening up his eyes, the first thing Kol Mikaelson realized was that his room was bright. The curtains should still be drawn and there should be some sort of noise going on downstairs. Why hadn' Bekah woken him up for breakfast? And why did the room smell of cleaner.

His eyes focused on the ceiling and he realized that he wasn't in his own room. A glance down told him he also wasn't wearing his clothes. He was in a hospital gown - in a hospital bed - presumably in a hospital. He groaned and sat up, trying to figure out what happened.

A quick pull back of the blanket and a glance at his body told him nothing was physically wrong with him. He didn't hurt at all, anywhere. The only thing that he really felt was hunger. He was absolutely starving, and it was time to get out of here. He knew better than to eat hospital food.

Kol pushed himself out of the bed and walked towards the mirror, wanting to check that nothing was wrong with his beautiful face. For some odd reason, he felt as though something had happened to his nose. He approached the mirror and suddenly felt a little disoriented.  
What was wrong with him all of a sudden? It had to be the bright sunlight. Maybe he hit his head too hard. Had he drank too much the night before? Was that why his head hurt? He tried to ignore the pain and looked in the mirror to see a piece of medical tape over his nose. He ripped it off and didn't even see a mark. Weird.

The hunger was starting to spread through him and he looked around, trying to see if his phone was anywhere. He wasn't quite sure where his vehicle was, but he figured it wasn't here. There had to be some way to get back home. He couldn't find his things, then assumed that Finn would know.

He opened his door and looked around, then realized he wasn't in the normal area of the hospital. He was in the ICU. Why the hell was he in the ICU? There was clearly nothing wrong with him. He wished he was at least wearing pants, but he had to make do with what he had. He approached a nurse at the nearby desk and ask for his brother. Her eyes were wide but he shrugged it off. Wow, she smelled good. Not his normal type of woman, but she still smelled amazing.

He went back towards his room and glanced in at another patient. He was hungry and for some reason, the man looked appetizing. Wait, what? A man? Kol had no idea what was going on now and ran back to his room. He shut the door and realized that his gums were starting to hurt. The pain in his head was becoming unimaginable and his hunger was screaming for sustenance. He had been perfectly fine a few minutes before and now he was in agony.

He heard the door open behind him and he knew it was Finn rushing to his side. His brother smelled good as well and Kol flinched away from him. Something was wrong. He put his hand over his mouth, not understanding why his teeth hurt so badly. Finn was standing in the doorway behind him and Kol tried to hide himself.

"I, I don't understand. You should have been fully healed."

Kol jerked his head up at him in shock and yelled "What did you do to me?"

Their eyes locked and Kol saw his brother's eyes go wide, and then the door was slammed shut. Finn rushed forward to him and grabbed his face in his hands. Kol jerked away, confused, but Finn grabbed his face again. They stared at each other, and suddenly Finn's entire demeanor changed.

Finn was backing away slowly, then started yelling, "Fuck. FUCK! Oh Fuck, Kol, Fuck."

Finn looked to be freaking out and Kol stayed where he was, confused. Nothing ever made his oldest brother panic, yet here he was, freaking out. "What's wrong, Finn?"

"You're a... shit, Kol."

"I'm a what?" he asked, and pushed himself off the floor to look in the mirror. There, he saw fangs.

"FUCK!" Kol yelled, and sat back on the floor, not wanting to look back in the mirror. There were fangs where his normal beautiful teeth should be. His eyes were darker and there were veins spidering from his eyes. It didn't take a genius to figure out what Finn was trying to say. His words came out in a gasp. "I'm a Vampire!"

"I have to call Stefan." Finn had his phone out and wasdialing while Kol continued to stare in the mirror. He reached one of his fingers up to touch the pointed fang and gasped a little when it drew blood. He looked down at his finger and licked at it, wondering the taste. Oddly enough, he actually liked it. He could get used to this whole vampire thing.

"Stefan? It's Finn Mikaelson. We have a problem."

It was easy for Kol to overhear what was being said on the phone. "What is wrong?"

"My brother, Kol. He got in to a car accident last night and I gave him some of the blood. He just woke up and is now in transition."

The line was silent for a moment. Kol almost thought that perhaps the man had hung up. He then heard the sound of banging on a door. "Bonnie, open up. We have a problem."

There was a girl that answered the sound with what sounded like a groan, and Finn and Kol continued to wait. Kol was now turned around facing Finn, who's eyes were still wide.

"Thank you for informing me."

Finn's jaw dropped open, as if he was shocked. "Informing you? I'm calling to ask you what to do!"

The line was silent again, and then he heard, "Either feed him human blood, or let him die."

The phone beeped, signaling the end of the call, and Kol shrugged his shoulders. "Well, that's it then. Have any blood on hand?"

He had meant it as a joke, but Finn just stared at him. The grin that was across Kol's face began to slide when he realized that Finn hadn't decided whether or not to give him blood.

"Finn? Finn, why are you looking at me like that? I'm still me. I'm still your little brother."

Finn just stared at him, then turned and walked out of the room. He shut the door behind him and Kol heard it lock. Kol stared at the door for a moment and sat down on the bed, hard. What just happened?

.:| The Lone Pup |:.

Klaus had been on his way out of the Sheriff's station to go look for Kol when the call came in. He hadn't recognized the voice on the other end of the line, but he had recognized how emotionless it was. The drive over to Kol's wrecked car had given him enough time to realize that all of this was probably connected back to the Originals. He just prayed that Kol was still alive.

He had stayed at his bedside, watching Finn give him Vampire blood. He wouldn't have died with surgery, and yet Finn still used it. His brother didn't see what Klaus saw. His injuries were not sustained in the accident. Someone had purposely beaten up their little brother.

Once Kol was on the mend, Klaus had gone home. Finn was working a night shift, Elijah was staying with Katherine, and Rebekah was still home alone. He had thought to ask her to go over to Katherine's or just come to the hospital, but he knew Rebekah would hate both. Kol would likely be fine, and Finn had promised to not leave him alone.

But Klaus should have known better. He was once again driving down the road as fast as he could, once again to Kol. Finn had just called and told him what had happened, and said he didn't know what to do. Klaus hadn't answered him, because he was too disgusted that the answer wasn't apparent. They had to feed Kol human blood. They couldn't just let their little brother die, even if he was a Vampire. Rebekah was a witch, and Klaus had werewolf blood. Nothing changed just because Kol was technically dead.

He opened up the door to Finn's office to see his brother sitting behind the desk, looking empty. Klaus shut the door behind himself and waited for Finn to say something. His patience was gone after about five seconds. "Kol still in his room?"

"Yes."

Klaus nodded his head and started thinking. He needed to get Kol some blood and to the house as fast as possible. This was going to take all of them working together. "Alright, well I need you to go get blood bags-"

"I locked him in there, Niklaus."

Klaus felt his blood run cold, and growled out "Why the fuck would you do that? He's done nothing wrong! Now, we need to get our brother home."

Finn stood up then, and said, "He is no longer our brother."

Klaus shook his head, disgusted at the words he had just heard his eldest brother say. "After the stunt you and Elijah pulled the other night, we are lucky. It is a blessing he is still with us."

Finn just shook his head again, and Klaus had had enough. One good knock out punch to the face and Finn had shut up.

Now Klaus was running down the hallway, trying to figure out where the blood bank was. He had Finn's keys in hand and found the cooler eventually, and opened up the dufflebag he had brought with him. He filled it as fast as he could, hoping that this would be okay. The entire family had now drank vervain so that wasn't an option in having Kol drink from any of them, and there was no way they could convince someone else to let him drink.

From there, Klaus went to his brother's room. He opened it to find Kol starring in the mirror at his fangs. Klaus immediately locked the door behind him and began stripping the bed, while Kol turned around towards him. "Nik! Finn has kept me locked in here all day. Please tell me you're not going to let me die."

Klaus shook his head and began wrapping the blankets around his brother. "Bundle yourself up. The grimoire says that the sun won't kill you, but it will weaken you, as long as you haven't fed yet. Have you fed?"

Kol shook his head no, and Klaus lifted up the bag. "You can drink once we are home, but until then, the sun is still out. We have to get you out of here before Finn wakes up."

Klaus was ready to drag his brother from the room when Kol stopped. "Finn isn't in on this?"

The voice sounded like that of a scared child, and Klaus shook his head no. He wasn't going to bring up Elijah either. Elijah had been too stricken with grief to answer, and Klaus had told him to not worry about it, and he would take care of it. It had to be hard on Elijah, for his youngest brother to become the thing he now spent his life hunting. "He is still in shock, so I made the decision for him. Now come on; let's get you home."

Kol followed, almost like a zombie, but Klaus dragged him down to the car. A few people tried to stop them and ask questions, but Klaus offered no explanations. His brother crawled into the back seat, where the windows were tinted more, and hid himself under the blankets. Klaus could tell that his brother was hungry from the groaning and the veins starting to grow under his eyes, but they had to wait till they were back to the house.

He was going to fix this. He wished that there was someone else he could go to or some other way to get help, but he really only had one option. He was the one making the decision to help Kol out, and somehow, they would all get through this.

Caroline Forbes had a lot of questions to answer.

.:| The Charming Newborn |:.

They were almost home when Kol saw his car on the side of the road. An image flashed before his mind, and he remembered the car wreck. He had been sneaking out to go see the new girl and had wrecked his vehicle. She had come to his aid and he remembered seeing her slightly, just before she stomped on his -

"Anna." The name slipped off his tongue before he could stop himself.

"What?"

"The new girl at school. I was sneaking out last night to see her. She was the one that injured me. Anna Grayson."

The car slammed to a stop and Kol looked up in shock at Klaus. Klaus' eyes were full of anger looking down at his little brother, while Kol looked up at him in shock. He almost wanted to demand why the fuck he did that, but he could tell that Klaus was furious and decided to not push it.

"Are you a fucking idiot, Kol? Did you listen to nothing that the grimoire said?"

Kol pulled his head back slightly and raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

"Grayson! As in Elena and Jeremy Grayson. As in the Originals!"

"Yeah, so? I thought Elena and Katherine were supposed to look alike, and Anna looks nothing like Katherine." Kol was really confused. Why would the girl use the same last name but a different first name. She really looked nothing like Kat.

"A new girl comes to school with the same last name as some of the Originals?! Use your fucking head, Kol! How often do we get new people in town?"

Kol thought about it for a moment then groaned. The girl hadn't even let him kiss her and yet he had been ready to dash off at her every whim. What was it with these Vampires that had his head so lopsided. "Alright, I fucked up. Can we go home now please?"

Klaus started driving again and Kol covered himself again with the blankets. The sun was starting to hurt his eyes and his head was throbbing more. He was absolutely starving at this point and he was unable to keep his fangs hidden. Klaus smelled... different, and he was glad there was a row of seats between them. How had the Originals been able to stand around in the middle of the Mystic Grill without going wild?

They finally pulled up and Kol ran inside as fast as he could. Klaus came up behind him with the bag full of blood, and Kol was ready to snatch one out when he was attacked by flying blonde hair. Rebekah was clinging to him in a hug and he hugged her back.

As he held his sister tight, he could smell her blood. It was too much. There was a vein right there in her neck, so close to him. It called out to him, for him to pierce it and drink freely. His arms tightened around her waist and Rebekah was now trying to pull away, but Kol's eyes were locked on the flowing vein. He could vaguely hear Klaus behind him, telling him to get away from Rebekah, but he couldn't stop himself.

Kol felt the fangs drop and he bit down into the Rebekah's neck. She screamed, and when the blood hit his mouth, he flew back, the burning going through his body. He fell to the ground, holding his head, and the sun coming in through the window began to burn his skin. He had a headache, unable to function. Something was wrong. He had to get out.

But outside had him burning more. He covered himself with the blankets when he heard Klaus yelling at him to get inside. He rushed to the doorway but couldn't get in. Something was blocking him.

"An invite! Kol, come inside. You're invited in! Come inside!"

He could vaguely hear Rebekah yelling that and he ran inside and straight to the basement. His skin was burning and his head still ached from the pain of being inside of the house. His pace was faster than any he could have ever imagined. Suddenly, everything was in overdrive.

He ripped the door off it's hinges and ran towards the darkness. Both Rebekah and Klaus were following him, but Kol kept going further into the basement. He had to get away from his sister. He had bit his own sister! He had actually harmed Rebekah. His mouth still burned from what he could only guess was the vervain, and it was a painful reminder that he had harmed her. Through thick and thin and all the arguments, he had never wanted to hurt her.

At the very back of the basement was the wine cellar. He opened up the door and went inside, shutting it behind himself. He withdrew to the back corner of it and opened up a bottle of wine. He started drinking it, trying to wash out the taste of his sister's blood. It wasn't enough. He could hear Rebekah and Klaus arguing, with Klaus trying to tell her to go back upstairs and Rebekah saying she was fine. He could still taste her blood on his lips, no matter how much of the bottle he was drinking. The scent of her blood was fresh in the air. His body was calling out for more, and it disgusted him.

Klaus was approaching the cellar door now and Kol used all of his speed and strength to throw himself against it. He was glad that it didn't break down, but he did hear a creak. Klaus had stopped on the other side of the door, and was trying to open it. Kol wouldn't budge.

"Kol, we know you didn't mean to do it. It's okay. Just let me in. I've got blood."

Kol's voice was hoarse as he called out, "Just leave it there. And barricade the basement door. Sorry for ripping it off it's hinges."

There was a silence for a moment, then Klaus said, "I'll leave the blood out here , but I won't barricade the door. We'll be here when you're ready to come out."

He heard the bag drop and Klaus walked away. After a few moments, the basement door shut as well, and Kol was left downstairs alone. He couldn't hear anyone else nearby, although he did recognize Rebekah upstairs, begging to see him, but it was safe to open the door. He opened it and saw the duffle bag from earlier, full of blood bags.

He dragged the bag inside and shut the door behind him, then moved back to where he had been sitting earlier. He picked up the open bottle of wine and took a swig from it, then glanced at the blood bags. His gums were hurting again and he knew he had to drink. The thought both excited and scared him. Was it supposed to be like this?

He ripped off the top of the first blood bag and it spilled over his hands. He couldn't stop himself from licking it off, then reaching for another. This one he bit his fangs into and started drinking. He kept going, bag after bag, drinking, never feeling completely satisfied. He could still remember Rebekah's blood and craved it, even with the vervain.

He reached into the duffle bag to pull out another blood bag and his hand hit air. He had drank them all? How had he managed to drink them all? Kol was filled with anger that he was out and ripped the bag into two. It then hit him how full of anger he was, and simply because a bag was empty.

He fell back against the wall, clinging to the half drank bottle of wine, and tipped it back. He was trying to drink away the memory of fresh blood. It wasn't enough. All of those bags and the alcohol... nothing was enough. He was a vampire, and he was scared.

.:| The Lone Pup |:.

Klaus was sitting in his room, glaring at the clock. He had told himself that he would wait a total of twenty-four hours before going downstairs to drag his brother from the basement. He understood that occasionally, you needed some time alone, and he was likely scared, but any more than twenty-four hours was going on absurd. Kol needed to face the future, not hide from it.

He could hear the front door to the house open and walked downstairs. Elijah was setting down a cooler that Klaus knew was filled with blood bags. They had already arranged to get a chest cooler for downstairs so that Kol could have blood bags in the house, but they had to actually get some. Finn had feared taking anymore from the hospital in town, so Elijah had stolen some from Lynchburg. Klaus was half tempted to go off vervain so his brother could just drink from him, but the idea was a rather scary one.

Finn came in from the living room where he had been working with Rebekah. She had been trying to get her magic to work, but no matter what she tried, nothing happened. They had attempted using fire and air, but it just wasn't happening. She claimed that she felt something calling to her, but nothing was produced from her efforts.

"I think we should call Stefan again. Maybe they can do something to help us. None of us know how to take care of a Vampire." Finn seemed to so strongly believe that Stefan would help them.

"I don't want any more of their so called help," Elijah spat, then lowered his voice slightly, as if Kol likely couldn't still hear them with his now supernatural hearing. "We have to take care of this ourselves. Alaric will be here tomorrow. He will have some ideas on what to do."

"We aren't staking him," Klaus said, and the other two boys nodded. Good, at least they were in agreement on that. "I'll try to get him out of the basement, even if only for a few hours. He can't stay down there forever."

Rebekah had come to join their group now, and looked up at Klaus with sad eyes. "Can I go down there with you? I want him to know that I am not upset with him. Please, Nik. Let me go with you."

Elijah's eyes locked with his and they silently agreed that it wasn't a good time for that. Klaus stepped forward and touched his sister's hand, shaking his head no. There was still a piece of gauze taped to her neck, covering the bite mark that Kol's teeth had left. "Kol's emotions are heightened, Rebekah. You know that. We don't want to upset him too much right now by bringing it up, but I'll tell him that you're fine."

Rebekah nodded her head slightly and pulled away from them. She was already turned around before she started complaining about how her brothers were too controlling. Klaus could tell that she was trying to be the strong demanding brat that she always was, but the pain of all that happened was getting to her. It was getting to all of them.

Klaus grabbed two blood bags from the cooler and walked over to the basement door. The rest he would leave upstairs, for now, hopefully as a way to draw Kol out and bring him upstairs. It was the only real plan he had, so he was going to go with it. He couldn't hear anything coming from the wine cellar, and as he approached the door, he tried to make his steps loud. He had no idea how sensitive Vampire hearing was.

He touched the door slightly and pushed it open. The room was dark and he flicked on the light. Sitting in the back corner, surrounded by empty blood bags and wine bottles, was Kol. He was staring down at his hands, and Klaus stood in the doorway. He had no idea what was going through his little brother's head at that moment, or if anything was.

"Hey, Kol. I've got a couple of blood bags with me, and we have more upstairs. You want to come up and join us?"

Kol said nothing in response, so Klaus took a few steps in. He left the door open behind him, even though he knew that if Kol wanted out, he could easily rush out whether or not the door was open. Klaus just didn't want Kol to feel blocked in.

He approached his brother and was only a few paces away when Kol finally looked up at him. The veins were once again apparant on the normally smooth face, and Klaus cooled his expressions to not react. Whereas he had been intrigued and excited by Caroline's vampire fangs, he was terrified of his brother's. He didn't know if the reason was because of the lack of control that Kol had or that the power that came off of Caroline attracted him, but the fact that he was actually scared of his little brother was horrifying.

"I can smell your blood." The voice sounded like a mixture between a groan and a gasp, and it didn't match the young boy that had existed only a few weeks before. A few weeks before their youngest brother had died. Before the Originals had shown up. Before he had become a Vampire. "I can see you in the darkness. I can hear your heart racing. I can taste the remnants of Rebekah's blood. And if I wanted to, I could kill you now if I wanted to."

Klaus gulped, and stood still, waiting to see if Kol moved. He kept telling himself that Kol was still his little brother and wouldn't harm him. Regardless, Elijah had said that if he snapped Kol's neck, that Kol would wake up in a few hours fine.

"I know that, Kol, but you won't. Even though you can hurt me, I know you don't want to. Now, come upstairs so we can talk about it."

In a flash, Kol was gone from the room, but before Klaus could yell out to his other siblings, Kol was already back with the cooler from upstairs in hand. There was a quirky grin on his face, almost like the old Kol.

"Pretty cool, isn't it? I'm faster than you can see. Pretty strong, too. I can only imagine how much the ladies will love this."

Kol was chuckling now and Klaus stood still, just watching. The grimoire had mentioned something about emotions being heightened, but it was odd to watch Kol shift from being threatening to so... carefree.

"I'm sure they'll love it. Do you want to stay down here for a little while then?"

The grin that was on Kol's face washed away, and he looked back up at Klaus. His eyes were drained of emptiness, and the boy nodded once. "Yeah, I think that would be best, brother. Maybe tomorrow?"

Klaus nodded and set down the blood bags he had in hand. He turned around to leave the room, hoping that Kol wouldn't attack him, but then he heard the sound of plastic ripping and knew that his brother was drinking from the bags now. His feet carried him upstairs to see his other siblings standing around waiting.

"Tomorrow," he said softly, shaking his head. It was killing him to leave his little brother down in the basement, alone."We'll try again tomorrow."

.:| The Baby Witch |:.

Rebekah knew that going downstairs against her brothers' wishes would likely end up with her in trouble, but she was tired of sitting around waiting. Alaric had finally arrived, and with it a whole new set of arguments erupted. At least no one was talking about staking Kol anymore. That was certainly not an option.

She had seen Alaric come in with a cooler full of blood bags, and once the cooler was left in the entryway, she sat at the top of the stairs, waiting. She knew that soon enough, the yelling would get to the point that no one would notice her. It didn't take long at all. Alaric began yelling about how Kol would lose control on them and then Klaus was yelling about trust. Finn was, like always, silent, while Elijah tried to keep the peace. She adored Klaus for sticking up for their brother.

She grabbed the entire cooler and walked over to the basement door. It creaked a little on occasion, and when she heard her brother throw something, she opened up the door quickly. Her steps were light as she stepped down the stairs and she counted them, not wanting to flick on the light. Why Kol was sitting in the darkness was beyond her.

She pulled her cell phone from her back pocket and flipped it on, so that the light left a little glow. Her steps were hurried as she went to the very back and reached the wine cellar door. Her hand was sitting over the door handle when the door rushed open and Kol was picking her up in a hug.

"Bekah! I missed you! Come in! It's so good to see you!"

Of all the reactions she had expected, this wasn't it. She followed Kol into the room and saw that half of the wine was gone and there was a pile of empty blood bags in the back corner. She hoped that what had been brought would be enough. Kol was sitting back down on the floor and beckoned to her. She approached him slowly and put down the cooler, then sat beside Kol.

"Hey, Kol. How are you feeling?"

Kol shrugged, then ripped the top off of one of the blood bags. She glanced away as he started drinking, telling herself it was only wine. Only wine... not blood. "Hungry, but you know, I'm a growing boy."

Kol then stopped in his movements and Rebekah waited to see his reaction. Kol's eyes drifted down to his hands, and he shrugged again. "Well, I'm dead, so I guess I'm actually not growing anymore, but whatever."

She let out an internal sigh of relief that he was okay, and then shut the lid of the cooler slightly. Kol made no motion that he noticed or cared, and she put her hand on his shoulder. "Kol, do you want to come upstairs now? We put heavy curtains over all of the windows and Klaus put boards over your bedroom window. It's been two days, and you kind of need a shower."

Kol didn't respond, just lifted up the cooler lid, even with Rebekah's arms over it. She had put a lot of weight behind it, but she shouldn't be surprised. He was always stronger than her, and now with his vampire abilities... "Naw, I think I'm going to hang out down here. I have a lot more wine to drink."

Rebekah nodded her head and sat back, knowing she couldn't stop him from drinking the rest of the blood bags even if she tried. She had seen him rush up the day before to take the cooler Elijah had brought. She decided instead to change subjects.

"So, Finn and I have been working on my witching abilities. He says that nothing is changing, but I swear that the candles flicker a little when I concentrate hard enough."

Kol nodded and was still drinking, but he seemed calm again. The cooler opened once more and another bag was ripped open, so Rebekah kept talking. "Also, they got you a new car. I'm stuck with the one you messed up. The windows are nice and tinted so the sun won't hurt you."

Kol looked up this time and let out a cheeky grin. "Excellent! I'm sure the ladies will love making out in the backseat."

Rebekah forgot in that moment that Kol was a vampire. He was still the same brother that he had always been, teasing and making jokes. She punched him light heartedly and they shared a smile, but then he was opening up the cooler again. He was going through them at a rapid pace, and it was starting to worry her. How much blood did a Vampire actually need each day? And what would happen when he ran out?

"Kol, maybe you should slow down a little..."

Kol's face, which had held a grin, suddenly went dark. Her breath caught as she realized he was angry. How could one little statement make him so angry? She pulled away slightly, bracing herself, knowing the vervain in her blood would protect him from drinking from her... but it wouldn't protect her from a broken neck.

And then Kol pulled away from her, horror written all over his face. "You need to leave, Bekah."

She shook her head, trying to be brave. "No, it's fine. I know you won't hurt me. Let's just go back to talking."

"Get out of here, REBEKAH!" he yelled this time, and she could hear feet coming towards the basement. Klaus appeared at the doorway, followed by the others, and Rebekah shook her head, tears going down her cheeks. Her brother couldn't even stand to be in the same room as her. She looked up to see Klaus was pulling her up and she locked her eyes with Kol's. They looked so sad, even with the darkness taking them over.

Elijah and Alaric were both standing in the doorway, stakes in hand. She jerked away from Klaus and turned back to Kol, who was standing watching them. Her arms wrapped around her brother, hugging him tight. She started yelling out, "You can't kill him! You can't hurt Kol! He's our brother! We can't lose another one!"

Kol wasn't wrapping his arms around her, and she turned away from him, still blocking him from the others. She knew that Kol could easily kill her like this, but she had already lost one brother. She wasn't going to allow another death, and especially not by their own hands. Henrik had been an accident. This would be murder.

Klaus had come and joined her, so that Kol was blocked in the corner from Alaric and Elijah. Elijah put down his stake and shook his head. "I wasn't going to kill him, Rebekah. I just wanted to make sure you were safe."

Alaric still held on to the dagger, and she felt Kol push her out of the way slightly. "Do you want to kill me then, Alaric? You can do it, if you want."

Kol walked towards him, their eyes locked, and Kol had stopped in front of the Vampire hunter. Rebekah tried to go to him, to stop him, but Klaus had grabbed her arm and held her back. "Kol, don't do this. We're not going to kill you! Just come back upstairs and we can discuss this!"

"Alaric, put the stake down," Klaus was saying, and she was glad someone else was on her side. What was so wrong with Elijah and Finn?

"Come on, Alaric. Stake me. I'm a Vampire now. I'm constantly hungry and I have no control over my emotions! I'm just locking myself down in a basement so I don't hurt anyone! Go ahead and kill me!"

He was yelling at this point and Klaus held tighter to her. She was crying harder, wishing this would all end. She had been the one to discover that Henrik was dead. She had screamed, awakening the whole house, and held her brother's dead body. She had chosen the clothes he was buried in. She had become the baby once more. She had lost her baby brother. She couldn't lose the brother that was practically her twin.

Alaric finally put down the stake, and Kol walked back towards her and Klaus. He nodded at Klaus and touched her arm, then sat down beside his half empty cooler. "Just leave me down here. I'll be fine in the darkness. I can't hurt anyone down here."

Klaus was pushing her towards the door and Rebekah let him. Alaric and Elijah had both picked up their stakes and waited for them to leave. Elijah shut the door, and they went up stairs. Finn was standing at the top of the basement with vervain bottles in each hand. Once the basement door was shut, she turned around to stare at the men that had almost harmed Kol.

"I'm disgusted with you three. Kol is still our brother, no matter what species he is. At least Nik has some common sense and family loyalty left, so that should show how far you lot have fallen."

She shook her head and marched up to her room, praying that her grimoire would have some sort of idea on what to do now.

.:| The Charming Newborn |:.

Three days. He had been sitting in the basement for three days. He had wrecked his vehicle Friday night and awoken in the hospital the next morning, and his watch told him it was now Tuesday afternoon. No one had tried to come down again, and he was glad for the silence. It was lonely, but he couldn't hurt anyone when he was alone.

His gums were starting to hurt again and he pulled out the last blood bag. He had began to slow down on his drinking after his family had left, and now that he only had one, he knew that he had to move. He hadn't heard any discussion of getting more blood bags upstairs.

He bit into the bag and began to drink, careful about catching each drop. The bag drained easily, and then he picked up his current bottle of wine. The alcohol seemed to help keep the edge off, somewhat, but it still wasn't truly enough.

His ears picked up the sound of Rebekah coming downstairs with Klaus. He already knew that Alaric and Elijah were sitting in the front room, discussing Caroline Forbes and protecting Katherine. He was oddly enough glad that the discussion wasn't on him again. He was tired of being talked about as if he didn't have an opinion that mattered.

Finn was in the kitchen making something to eat and had now joined the rest of them in the sitting room. They were quietly discussing what in all to tell Katherine. All she knew at this point was Vampires were in town and she had to drink vervain. He almost wondered why they weren't protecting Katherine in their house, but then he remembered that he was a Vampire. Of course they wouldn't want the strumpet in danger.

The bottle was empty of wine and he dropped it to the ground. He could just clean it all up later. He approached the wine cellar door and opened it, surprised it wasn't locked. He then walked up the basement stairs and saw that they had replaced the door he had earlier ripped off. He hadn't even heard that being done.

A glance around the front hallway told him that Rebekah had spoken true. Everywhere, the curtains were pulled tight. All of the lights were on and candles were lit, creating the light that they all needed to see. He walked towards the sitting room and saw that everyone was facing away from him.

Klaus seemed to notice him first. Rebekah was next, and soon enough everyone had turned around to face him. He attempted a smirk, then let his face fall. He nodded his head slightly, feeling awkward with the attention on himself. Well, that was new. He wasn't normally one to shy away.

"How are you feeling, Kol?" Elijah asked, and Kol looked up at his brother.

He shrugged again, then said, "Alright. A little hungry. I kind of need a shower. All in all, though, I'm alright."

Everyone seemed to nod, and Kol nodded with them. A silence settled, and then Kol shook his head. He wasn't alright. Nothing was alright. Nothing would ever again be alright. "Actually, no. No, I am definitely not alright. Things are not alright."

Rebekah looked on the verge of tears and he looked away, not able to bear seeing the sadness on his baby sister. He almost wanted to return to the basement, but he knew that avoiding things wouldn't make it alright. It would just prolong it all, and make the situation worse.

"I need help." He looked up at Klaus, knowing that he was the best bet in getting the help he needed, even if she was the one that caused it. "I'm going to need _her_ help."

* * *

AN

**Read and Review, please! That's how I know what you guys think!**

**Betas : livingdeadblondegirl, a-little-blonde-distraction**

The next update will be Wednesday. Look for it then. Until that point in time, brace yourselves for a long week, and just remember, Klefaroline on Thursday.

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	9. Chapter 8 : Better Feared Than Loved

**Chapter Eight : Better Feared Than Loved**

The house had seemed to quiet down a good bit once the electronics had arrived and been set up. More orders had been placed by all of the occupants - even Stefan. Caroline couldn't help but recognize the irony in the fact that thousand year old vampires were being kept amused by items that had been around for less time than a short Bonnie nap. Regardless, Caroline was happy. There had been no more yelling since Stefan burst into her room, yelling about the Mikaelson boy.

She had to admit, it intrigued her that they had heard nothing from the Mikaelsons. After getting confirmation through Stefan that Kol Mikaelson had been turned, she had forbidden any contact between them and the Mikaelsons. They had to come to them to get help. They were Originals and deserved more than a phone call. No one had protested - even Stefan. She was glad to know that he stood behind her in this. But, she knew that she couldn't completely trust him. She had already bugged every phone in the house.

They were stupid, to think she wouldn't recognize the smell of sage burning. She had known the second that most of the sound stopped in the house, and once the scent had hit her nose, she knew then that Bonnie was doing a spell. She listened out and could only hear Anna moving about. The fact that Bonnie was talking to Stefan was no large surprise, but she felt betrayed that Tyler had been involved as well. Regardless of anything else, Tyler's connection to the group had always been through her. The fact that Bonnie and Stefan were now confiding in Tyler was a dagger to her own heart.

But Tyler had stayed locked up in his room. On occasion, he slipped out for blood and liquor, but the rest of the time he stayed on his computer. She half considered hacking that as well, but the idea of seeing what Tyler looked at in the privacy of his bedroom disgusted her. There were far better things to do with her time.

Like figure out why the hell the Mikaelsons hadn't called. This had been a well thought out move. There were no other vampires in this town, of that she was sure, and now their younger brother had been turned into one. He was young and reckless, and would likely lose control. He had no ability to walk out in the sunlight. Two of his elder brothers were trained to hate him, as a hunter and a werewolf. And still no call had come. She was beginning to think they had just staked him. Regardless, they were drawn to the power that the Originals radiated. At the end of the day, she knew someone would contact them.

And that was how she ended up sitting at the grand piano that Stefan had kindly supplied in her study. She wasn't playing any piece in particular, but instead allowed her fingers to run up and down, in different exercises. She didn't need to repeat these motions, over and over, but somehow it soothed her. She would hit a particular interval, and her hands would glide for a moment, playing out a tune, and then she would return to the dancing up and down the ivory keys.

Her eyes flicked up, though, when she heard Stefan's phone ring. Everyone that was important was currently in the house, meaning that only one of Stefan's informants - or a Mikaelson - could be calling right now. She tried to keep her steps even as she rose from the piano bench and began walking towards the door. Across the hallway, the door was open and Stefan stepped out, his phone in hand.

Their eyes locked, and she knew that it was Finn calling. She nodded her head, and Stefan answered it. "Doctor Mikaelson, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

The line was silent for a moment. "We need your help. With Kol."

Caroline let a smile slide across her lips. Three days? It had taken them three days to reach out for help? She was a little impressed. Her hand reached out to take the phone and Stefan offered it willingly. She was glad that he wasn't going to fight her on this.

"Oh really, love? And why would you possibly need our help?"

There was silence on the other end of the line again, and then she heard a growl and a sigh. She could place both of them on Finn's other two brothers. She realized then that the phone was on speaker.

"Did something happen? Well, I certainly hope the youngest Mikaelson lad is... alright."

There was a muttered 'you have to be kidding me' from an older voice that she didn't recognize belonging to any of the Mikaelsons, and a huff from a girl. There was movement as well, as though the phone was shifting hands, and then she heard a voice that made her grin.

"Hey, Caroline! You wanna come over and drink blood?"

"Kol!"

"Shut up, Kol!"

"Kol, you idiot."

"Really, Kol?"

"Give me the damn phone, Kol."

She grinned, and waited for Klaus to grab ahold of the phone. It took a moment, and then she heard his warm voice. "We don't want to play games with you. We need your help with Kol."

Caroline smiled at Stefan and began walking back towards her bedroom. Stefan followed a step behind, and when she reached her bedroom door, she turned back to him. The line was silent again, as though all of the siblings were awaiting her answer. Oh, how good it was to be the queen.

"I'm an Original, love. You want something? You come over in person and ask for it. Learn to respect your elders."

She hung up the phone and handed it back to Stefan with a smile. "We have guests coming over, and I need to get dressed!"

Stefan's eyebrow raised slightly at her statement as she walked inside of her room and slid off the leather jacket she was wearing. "But, you're already dressed..."

She gave him a smile and a wink over her shoulder. "And they're all on vervain."

It seemed to dawn on Stefan what she meant, and he shook his head slightly. She laughed as his face twisted slightly and walked towards her closet as she pulled her top off over her head. Oh yes, it was so much fun to toy with her new playthings.

.:| The Lone Pup |:.

Klaus stared at the phone for a second, then shook his head, angry. He knew that calling them was a stupid idea. The ball was now entirely in their court, and she was expecting them. He should have ignored his siblings and driven over to the mansion to ask. The move would have perhaps startled them. "We shouldn't have fucking called."

He handed the phone to Finn and went to grab his jacket. There was no way anyone else was going over to the mansion. Finn was too weak, Alaric too angry, and Elijah was not her favorite person after trying to stake her. They could never put Rebekah in danger, and the sun was still shining outside so Kol was a no go. The only option was him, and she seemed to at least be able to tolerate him.

"Where do you think you are going, Niklaus?"

"Where the fuck do you think, Elijah? I'm going over there to ask her to come help Kol."

Finn stepped forward, shaking his head. "I don't think that's best, Niklaus. It should be myself and Elijah. We are the eldest-"

"You two are the reason we're in this mess! If you hadn't tried to stake her, she wouldn't have killed Kol. Who are they going to kill next? Bekah? Do you want that? Do you want our little sister locked in the basement?"

Everyone stared at him in shock, and he shook his head. His entire body was radiating with anger. How had they gotten to this point? They were constantly bickering, it seemed. Kol wouldn't even come near to any of them for longer than a second and he could see Rebekah's bloodshot eyes from crying. Elijah was out drinking Alaric, which was saying something, and Finn hadn't shaved in a few days. Klaus himself had been avoiding going in to work as much as possible. They were falling apart.

"Listen to me. No matter what, we are family. Including you, Alaric. We are a family, and that means we have to stick together. No more bullshit fights. As dysfunctional as we are, there is a bigger threat out there that we are facing, and we have to face it together. Can you all pull your shit together long enough for us to go over there and get help for our brother?"

His elder brothers, and Alaric, all nodded. Klaus grabbed the keys to the suv off the front table and turned to face the babies of the family. "Kol, stay in here. Drink every single bottle of liquor for all I care, just don't leave this room. Rebekah, go upstairs so that it isn't so bad for Kol. And for the love of God, don't let anyone in."

They both nodded, and Klaus looked at the rest of his large family. "You guys coming, or what?"

.:| The Queen of the Heartless |:.

Caroline stared at herself in the mirror as she applied her red lipstick. She dabbed at it for a moment, ensuring that her lips were flawless, then stepped in front of the full length mirror. Perfect. This was going to be an interesting meeting.

She walked out of her room when she heard the vehicle pull into the driveway. Everyone but Stefan were in their room, and he was standing at the top of the stairs waiting for her. He looked her up and down for a moment, his mouth opened slightly, and she gave him a wink and used two fingers on his chin to close his mouth for him.

"You're staring, Stefan. It's nothing you haven't seen before."

She walked down the stairs easily, regardless of the platforms on her boots and skyrocketing heel. They were laced up the back and reached to her knee. Something about these particular boots, while rather unpractical, were just so much fun. She couldn't wait to see the reaction she would get from whichever Mikaelsons came over.

She knew that Klaus would be among them. He would be unable to resist her. At least one of his other brothers would be with him. She would be impressed if the hunter actually had the courage to show his face. The newborn would not be among the group, given the time of day, unless the little witch somehow figured out daylight jewelry.

Caroline could hear footsteps approaching the front door and she reached forward to open it. Four men were standing there, just about to knock. She raised her eyebrow and looked over each of them. Finn looked away from her, Elijah's eyes went wide, the man she didn't know let out a whistle, and Klaus' eyes darkened. She rolled her eyes then turned around and walking straight to the sitting room. Stefan was standing at the base of the stairs, his arms cross over his chest, watching them. She wasn't sure who he thought he was protecting... The last time she had had her back to a Mikaelson, she was the one in danger.

The door closed behind her and she heard all four sets of feet following her. She went straight for the bottle of scotch that was sitting, waiting for her, and she poured a few mouthfuls for herself. After replacing the top, she turned around to see all four men standing in the entryway, watching her. She raised an eyebrow at them and took a sip of her drink, then walked slowly to rejoin them.

"Not going to offer us any?" asked the man she didn't know. Her eyes thinned at him for a moment, and the man tensed up slightly.

"Good afternoon, boys. What brings you all the way over here?"

She took another sip while both Finn and Elijah spoke up.

"You killed our brother!"

"Our brother is a vampire because of you."

She pursed her lips together and felt the veins around her eyes rise slightly. She pushed it back down and looked towards her feet for a moment, then looked back up. Alright, they obviously were not in the mood to play games today.

"Will you two shut up and act like adults?" she heard Klaus say. Well, that was a surprise. She had to wonder how long the boy had been taking charge of family matters. He was the middle child, and yet he acted like the leader. Lots of Alpha blood in him, to be certain.

Her eyes locked with his and she raised an eyebrow slowly. He stared back and she glanced away, not ready to start a staring competition. She didn't have time for that. She took another sip of her drink, then handed it to the man she didn't know. "I have no idea who you are, but go sit down and drink. I don't have time for you right now."

Her voice was so powerful that compulsion wasn't even needed, though she knew he was on vervain. The man accepted the glass, shrugged at the other guys as if he had no complaints, and went to sit in the room she had just exited. Her gaze now turned to the young hunter.

"So, I killed your brother, did I? Well now, why don't we look at the facts. For example, I told you not to try and cross me. I told you that no harm would come to anyone if you didn't harm us. I even warned your little brother, to be careful at night. And yet, you tried to cross me. You went so far as to put a stake in my back. And then, your brother trusted a stranger. I did warn you, Elijah. Next time, heed my warning."

Elijah looked ready to protest but she closed her eyes and shook her head slightly. "I warned you, Elijah Mikaelson. This is what happens when you try to outsmart an Original. You lose. Now shut up."

Elijah nodded his head jerkily and took an involuntary step back. She let a smile return to her face, then glanced over at Finn.

"I turned your brother into a vampire? Oh no, Doctor Mikaelson. I think not. Your brother's injuries were not life threatening. He could have had surgery and lived. But no, you wanted to take the easy way out, and gave him some of my blood. You made that decision, not me. My order was only to kill him if he had my blood in him. Maybe next time, don't rely on the supernatural for everything, and instead do your job. You can shut up as well."

She then looked at Klaus, standing in front of his two stunned brothers, and gave him a smile. "I'll deal with you in a second, love. Why don't you go stand with Stefan while I finish up with your brothers."

Klaus glanced over both shoulders to his brothers, then gulped and walked over to Stefan. She waited till he was a few paces away, then smiled at the two standing in front of her. Oh, it would be so easy to just rip their hearts out. Perhaps she could snap their necks. Would she have enough time to shove her blood down their throats first? Did she even really want to?

"Why did you come here?" she asked sweetly. "And remember that his future rests in my hands!"

Elijah's jaw tightened and Finn groaned, then spoke. "We need your help."

She tossed her head a little, enjoy this. "Need my help with what?"

Finn spoke again while Elijah gritted his teeth. "With Kol."

"How can I help Kol?" she asked, letting her face be over bursting with a smile and her eyelashes fluttering. Oh yes, she looked like a helpless little girl, but they were both shaking before her. She didn't care if it was fear or rage.

"He needs to learn control." Finn said. She let her eyes drift to Elijah, who refused to talk, and pushed her lips together for a moment. "Please."

She rolled her eyes again and tossed her head once more. "All at once now. Please..."

"Will you PLEASE help Kol gain control of his Vampirism," Elijah growled out. She gave him a pouty smile and tilted her head to the other side.

"Now was that so hard to ask?"

She gave them a moment, then let the smile drop from her face. The anger she had earlier held returned, and she glared at them both. "No. Now go sit with your little friend and shut up till I'm done."

Elijah started to protest, and she picked him up by his neck. Everyone gasped, save for Stefan, but no one moved to stop her. She raised him a few inches off the ground, regardless of the fact he was much taller than she. Good thing she was wearing these boots today. "You have tested me once before, hunter, and yet you try again? Do you carry a death wish? I said sit down and shut up."

She released her grip and his feet hit the ground as she was turning away. Klaus was grinding his teeth and she could tell that he was angry. She ignored him for a moment and looked at Stefan. "Keep our guests occupied, will you love?"

Stefan pursed his lips together, revealing his 'too tired for this shit' face that strongly resembled his 'why is it a Monday' face, but stepped towards the sitting room. She looked at the sheriff standing beside her, then began walking up the stairs. She had taken two steps when she said, without turning around, "Come, Niklaus."

He growled a little behind her, likely from the use of his full first name, but she ignored it and continued up the stairs. He wasn't following her, and once she reached the top, she turned around to face him. "I said, come."

He slowly made his way up the stairs, and she smiled as she walked towards Bonnie's room. It was so good to be the alpha.

.:| The Honorable Nobleman |:.

Stefan walked into the sitting room and immediately went over to the bottle of scotch that Caroline had poured a drink from earlier. What he really wanted was blood... Fresh, warm blood, filling up his mouth and running down his chin. Heartbeats slowing as he drank with no worries or distraction... There was fresh blood nearby and he could smell it in the air. His eyes closed as he breathed it in, then turned around towards the blood. All three men that had come in earlier were sitting on the couch, as told, watching him. No, he didn't need blood. Drinking blood from and in front of human guests would be rude. He would just stick with scotch.

"What do you do to your hair to make it look like that?"

Stefan froze where he was standing, then turned around to look at Elijah, who had spoken. The man he didn't know was staring into his now empty glass and Finn was looking at Elijah like he was crazy. He was crazy. Did the hunter really just ask him about hair care? Their youngest brother was a vampire, the most dangerous woman in the world was upstairs with the other, and he was asking about hair care?

Where was the nearest fridge with blood bags?

He left the three men sitting in the room alone as he casually walked into the dining room and opened up the wine cooler. Inside were bottles of wine that were mixed with blood. He grabbed one of the open bottles and poured himself a glass. After a few sips of it, he refilled the glass and returned to the sitting room.

"What are you drinking?" This man again? Was the only thing he cared about alcohol? Stefan offered the cup to him, and he went to take a sip. The man's eyes bulged and he coughed on the mixture, then handed it back. "Don't want that again."

Stefan smirked a little, then said, "You probably shouldn't take drinks from strange vampires then. It was bloody wine."

The man's face paled, and Stefan walked over and poured the man some of the scotch he had earlier ignored. The man immediately grabbed the glass and Stefan shrugged, stepping around to sit in his chair. "I strongly recommend you all get comfortable. It might be a while."

Elijah got up to pour himself a drink while Finn leaned forward towards Stefan. "Why did she take Klaus upstairs. Is she... forcing him?"

Stefan snorted, knowing that the sheriff was already interested in Caroline. Even still, Caroline wouldn't play that card so early. "Caroline's intentions for your brother are not something to concern yourself with. I am more than certain he would be a willing partner, but he is not to Caroline's taste."

"You mean she prefers women?"

Stefan stared at Finn, wondering for a second what was going through this man's mind. How did the man even breathe on his own? "I mean that you are human and possess no great power or wealth."

"And?"

Hadn't he spelled it out enough without being harsh? "And we are royalty. The most powerful beings to ever walk this planet. She can control countries with the flick of her wrist. And you are all commoners. Beneath us."

He hadn't been listening too closely to the conversation upstairs, but then it went dead silent. A few seconds later, he heard someone coming down the stairs and looked up to see Bonnie. Her caramel face looked pale and her eyes were wide. She ignored the others in the room as Stefan rose from his chair and walked over to her.

She didn't even bother to lower her voice as she spoke. "Stefan, she knows."

Stefan was confused. What would Caroline know that would scare Bonnie so badly? He shook his head, as if to show that he had no idea what she was talking about.

"She came upstairs and told me to do a privacy spell, and then told me she knew that I had already performed the spell once. The look in her eyes... she KNOWS that Tyler was there as well. And she is furious about it."

He was an idiot to have thought they would get away with it. No matter what he said now about the matter, Caroline wouldn't trust them. He had held the meeting without her knowledge, hoping to make things better, but instead, things were worse. He kept his face calm, though, and put both of his hands on Bonnie's shoulders. "Don't worry about it. I'll talk to her."

Bonnie nodded her head, and then looked over his shoulder. He turned to see that she was looking at the men. They were staring back at her in turn. Stefan offered his arm to Bonnie and she took it, and he brought her into the room. Finn had risen from his seat and walked over to join the other two.

"Bonnie, please allow me introduce Doctor Finn Mikaelson, his brother Elijah, and, I'm sorry, but your name is?"

The man looked up at him, startled, and said, "Alaric Saltzman. Vampire Hunter."

Stefan let his eyes thin for a moment, then rolled them and squinted them shut for a second. Dealing with this family was taking all of his patience. He lightly scoffed, then opened his eyes and turned back to Bonnie. "And their friend, Alaric Saltzman. Finn and Elijah are the eldest two Mikaelsons."

Stefan looked up at the three men again, just in time to see the Mikaelson brothers nodding. "Gentlemen, this is Miss Bonnie Bennett."

Bonnie lifted her head a little, then gave them all a smile. "A pleasure, gentlemen. I apologize for anything that Caroline has done to upset you. Mr. Mikaelson, are you fully healed since your previous visit to our home?"

Stefan released Bonnie's arm to go get her a glass of wine as well, and came back in to see that Bonnie was sitting on the edge of his chair while the three men had returned to the couch. He picked up his own glass from where he had earlier set it down, then sat in his chair after Bonnie shifted her legs a little to allow him to sit.

"Forgive me, Miss Bennett, but I must ask. You are... with Stefan?"

Bonnie bursted in a snort at Elijah's question and Stefan looked at her with a raised eyebrow. His words were muttered as he said, "Thanks, Bon."

She rolled her eyes at him, then looked back up at the men. "No. Stefan's heart has long belonged to another. I am simply another member of the family."

"The family?" Alaric asked, while Stefan handed Bonnie her drink. She took it, and the veins around her eyes fluttered for a moment as she breathed in the scent of the blood. All of the men pulled back slightly at the sight, and Stefan answered.

"The Original family," Stefan shrugged. It should be obvious. They had already established that, although Stefan was not related to Caroline, it was still as if she was his sister.

"Family is far more than just blood - although I guess for us we are tied together with blood as well," Bonnie stated, but Stefan could see that they were still a little confused.

"Bonnie is a Vampire." There. That should clarify it enough for them.

The fireplace beside them burst up in flames and he saw out of the corner of his eye Bonnie smiling at the men. "And a witch."

.:| The Lone Pup |:.

Klaus stood awkwardly outside of the room while the woman Caroline had called 'Bonnie' did what he assumed was a spell. A privacy spell, she had said. He had no idea what was going on, but he wasn't scared. No, he was more nervous. Excited. Everything with Caroline was unpredictable, and he was rather enjoying it.

When Bonnie left the room, Caroline beckoned him in. She went to sit down in an arm chair and he sat on the sofa beside it. She was leaning back in the chair, with one leg crossed over the other, and his mind lost control. He could imagine those creamy, pale legs spread for him, and her only wearing those black boots. Her legs would wrap around his waist as he ground himself against her. One of her legs would make it's way over his shoulder as he pushed deeper. His hands would grip the back of her thighs, jerking her harder against him-

"So, Sheriff Mikaelson, I'm certain you are filled with questions by now. It has been a few days since we last spoke."

He was jerked out of his thoughts and looked from her legs to her eyes. She looked almost innocent, as though she had no idea that he had been caressing her body in his mind, but she was far too smart to not have some idea. His mind tried to sort out what she had asked.

"Just one. I want to know how to become a werewolf."

Her eyebrow quirked and she sat forward slightly, allowing him a better sight of her cleavage. The tight dress she was wearing revealed most of her back to him and came to a v over her breasts. He envied the beads of her necklace, wishing that it was his fingertips instead that caressed her skin.

And then she was getting up from her chair and walking away. Now, he was given another glorious look of the back of her legs, smooth back, and the fabric of the dress was so deliciously short... And he could see her ass now. He felt a little lightheaded, watching her bend over in front of him.

His body was almost fully turned now to look at her bending over as she searched the bookshelf. The fabric had ridden up to the point that the bottom of the fabric was just over the edge of her butt. He didn't know what exactly she was looking for and he tried to keep his thoughts together as she spoke again.

"I have to wonder how you feel about the fact that your brother is a Vampire. Did you know that Werewolves and Vampires are mortal enemies?"

She bent forward a bit more, searching the shelf below, and his mouth went dry. He didn't give a damn what she was searching for anymore. The fabric was so close to shifting up her ass, to show him her core. Fuck the bookshelf. Fuck his siblings downstairs. There was only one thing he wanted right now.

Caroline fucking Forbes, the delicious, blonde, Original Vampire, on her hands and knees in front of him, with her ankles crossed and the fabric of her skirt riding up to the point that he could take her from behind. His mind was filled with this vision, and he realized then that the image would be forever burned into his mind. He wanted to get off this couch and push her forward more, so that he could see her spread for him.

But his mind cleared and he realized that her ass was still completely covered, and what he saw in his mind was not reality. She was straightening up now, having found whatever book she was looking for, and he jerked his head away, trying to hide how rock hard he was for her in that moment. She was returning to her chair and he shifted in his seat. He wanted her, and regardless of how much he tried to look at the artwork on the walls, there was no more denying that fact.

.:| The Queen of the Heartless |:.

Caroline returned to her seat and noticed that his eyes were looking at the wall. She had known that the idea of her bent over would entice him, but she hadn't quite realized how much it would truly affect him. The wolf in him, even unactivated, was likely pushing for him to have her in that position, but she could tell that the man in him wanted her just as badly. It took all of her self control to not let a smile creep across her face and she bit her tongue to keep from pointing out his obvious arousal. All in due time...

"I think that you will find this an interesting read." She leaned forward to hand him the book, and he jerked his eyes back to her. Their eyes locked as she handed it over, then sat back in her chair as if nothing was going on.

"And why should I read it?" he asked, his voice sounding thicker and deeper than normal.

"It is a book on werewolf lore. Perhaps you will find something in there that piques your interest."

"Lore?"

"Oh yes, sweetheart. Werewolf lore. You see, I have learned over the past millenia to collect a variety of things. Music... books... and art, like what you see on the walls. The beautiful things in life. With my position comes power, and with power comes great reward."

She shrugged a little, as if trying to brush off the fact that she was the most powerful being to exist, but she hoped that her words enticed him to ask more about the beautiful things in her life. She wanted him to ask about what she had seen, and what she had done. She actually wanted to share these little things with him, so as to show she wasn't just some monster.

"Your power comes from fear. Wouldn't you rather be loved than feared?"

Caroline scoffed at his words. "Love. What a childish concept. Love results in pain. Love results in agony. And as a vampire, love results in death. No, Niklaus Mikaelson. Fear is what keeps me alive. Fear is what keeps me on top."

"So that's what you want, then? For everyone to fear you?"

Caroline rose from her chair, unable to stand him looking at her as he spoke. Love was a concept she had given up long ago. Loving had always brought her pain. It had made the bloodlust rise. And it had nearly resulted in her death. When she was surrounded by those that feared her, however, she was strong. Invincible. No one would dare stand against her.

Her feet carried her to the piano, where she could always find solace. On the piano alone could she display her emotions other than anger. She could let sadness take over, or happiness. On occasion this idea of love. But the sage was going to burn out eventually, and she still hadn't discussed what she needed to with Klaus.

An idea popped into her head then, and she walked around to the side of the piano. Her back was to Klaus as she reached her arm in, far further than necessary, to release the stand and set down the lid. She went on to her tippy toes as she leaned forward and bent over slightly, then pulled back agonizingly slow to set down the lid.

She braced both of her hands on the top of the piano and remained bent over slightly, her back arched as if she was putting all of her weight onto her hands. Her mind drifted away for a moment as she stood there, thinking about his words. Yes, she wanted everyone to fear her. There was no love left in this world for a being like her.

She couldn't even look back over her shoulder at him. He had many reasons to fear her. She was threatening his family and the town he was sworn to protect. She had nearly killed one of his brothers and turned another. He was powerless to stop her, and yet he stood up to her. No, what was more, he wanted her. He had seen a glimpse of her true nature, and he actually wanted her in some form.

"You don't fear me."

.:| The Lone Pup |:.

He knew that his words had affected her in some regard as she walked away. His eyes followed as she approached the piano, and he shot up when she bent forward slightly. Even the littlest movement now made his mind fill with the vision of taking her from behind. She was bending even further forward now and he walked around the edge of the sofa.

He was going to walk over to her, grab her hips from behind, and take her just like that. His fingers would dig into her flesh. It would be rough and hard, just like he imagined she liked it. That long blonde hair would be held tight in his hand as he had his way with her. He would make her scream out his name.

Her words stopped him in his tracks. She had pushed herself up so she was no longer so far forward. No, he didn't fear her. Wasn't he supposed to be fearing for his life? Instead, he just wanted to have his way with her. And he still wanted to. His steps continued again, this time with an added need to show her that there was more than just fear in this world.

But then she was turning around to face him again, and suddenly she was sitting up on top of the piano. Now, he was forced to look up at her. He had forgotten, for just a moment, that she was the Alpha. In his normal life, he was always in charge. He seemed to always make the decisions and lead the group. It was how he became the sheriff so young. But around her, he often felt so powerless.

"I'll make you a deal," she said, looking down at him while she crossed one leg over the other. Her hands were set on either side of her, as if she was about to push herself up and off from her seat. He had to force himself to look away from her legs and back up to her eyes. She was so close... only a few feet away...

"I can help your brother out. He will be able to control his blood lust and learn how to be a Vampire. Bonnie will also teach your sister about witchcraft. This benefits both of us, in truth."

He nodded his head, liking the terms so far. His younger siblings would get that which they needed most.

"In exchange, you will not try to attack me again. You will not betray me to anyone. You will not try to harm my family, and you will do as I say when it comes to protecting yourselves and my doppelganger. I know you are all likely on vervain by now, so I cannot compel you, so I will have your word. On your family."

Klaus gulped, and was ready to respond, when she raised her finger slowly. "Think about this first, Niklaus. Do not just agree. I have been protecting my family for a thousand years from far greater threats than children playing at hunters, so do not think that you can overpower me. I will rip you all to shreds if you try to double cross me."

The words settled over him, and he knew that she was serious. His siblings believing him was another matter. Elijah was cocky enough to believe that she wouldn't retaliate again for the stake he had jabbed into her back, but he felt that was a ticking time bomb. She didn't seem the kind of person to forget so easily.

But they would do as he said. He may not be the oldest, but he was the one that could protect them best, even without the hunter training that Alaric and Elijah possessed. He was going to make them understand, one way or another, that they couldn't hurt the Originals in any way. It wasn't like they could even really kill them.

"You have a deal."

Their eyes locked and she looked down at him as if to decide whether or not she could trust him. He gazed back up at her, and his eyes drifted over the worry lines in forehead and around her eyes. After one thousand years of protecting her family, he could only imagine how many sleepless nights she had spent worrying for those she loved.

And then she sat up and smiled. "Excellent. It looks like we are heading over to your house then, sweetheart."

Her eyes left his face and looked down at her legs. His eyes followed hers, and then he heard words that he could only assume coming from his imagination. "Well, I can't run in these. Would you mind helping me out of them?"

He looked up at her, shocked, and saw that she was looking down at him innocently. Surely, she had realize what she was asking him to do. His body had just been starting to calm down, and now she was asking him to remove the boots from her beautiful long legs. "I'm sorry, what?"

She looked down at her legs then back up at him. She leaned forward slightly to touch the back of one of her calves. Her words were innocent, as if she truly needed his help. "My boots. They tie up in the back, and I can't quite reach them to get them off. I could go ask Stefan, perhaps, but you're already here, so I thought perhaps-"

He had already stepped forward and grabbed the leg that was on top, just beneath where the boot started. He didn't care what Stefan was to her, nor did he care what he really was to her. He didn't want another man touching these legs that belonged wrapped around him. Only he should ever be able to touch her.

His eyes jerked away from hers and he gripped the laces, undoing the knot, then began to hook his fingers in each loop to undo the back of the boots. He imagined that this was what unlacing a corset was like, and the image of Caroline in a corset that he got to unlace was filling his mind. He tried to keep his breathing even as he neared the bottom of the boot, and his eyes went back to look at hers.

There was no smirk on her face. No laughter in her eyes. She was simply watching him, and it made him feel even more put on the spot. His hand gripped over the toe of the boot and he pulled it off. He couldn't help but to let his hand caress her calf, and he wished more than anything to have both her legs thrown over his shoulders. Their eyes locked once more as he released her leg from his hold and dropped the boot to the floor.

Now, there was fire in her eyes. She looked as though she was enjoying this, but not in the way he was. No, he was standing here, removing her boots, while she teased him. He was like putty in her hands while she was fully in control, and he didn't even care. His hand had just caressed the softest skin in existence, and now, she was leaning back on her lower arms while raising the other leg.

Her free leg was touching just under his ribs, and was slowly working it's way down his side. Her foot was about to reach behind his legs, and he forced himself to continue undoing the laces. He was almost done when he felt her foot bend enough that it felt she was trying to wrap her leg around his. He almost snapped the last of the laces as he pulled them from the last loop, and now he was dropping another boot to the floor.

This caress of her legs was far better placed, letting one hand slide along the outside of her thigh upwards to her hips. His other hand caressed the outside of her free leg, and their eyes remained locked as his hands slid. His body was moving closer to hers, and he was ready to jerk her off the piano so that she could wrap her legs around his waist. These long beautiful perfect legs needed to be wrapped tight around him.

But as one of his hands reached her hip, she sat forward and pushed him backwards with the slightest nudge. It caught him so off guard that he took two steps backwards, and then she was standing up in front of him. How could a woman that actually had to look upwards to him seem so powerful? He gulped, realizing where his thoughts had almost taken him, and then Caroline was walking away from him. What just happened?

"Why do you keep everyone at a distance, like you're so high above everyone else?"

Caroline stopped in her steps and turned back around to face him. Her arms crossed over her chest as she shifted her weight to one side and looked back at him. "I am above everyone else. I'm the Original Alpha. I've bedded monarchs and Popes. I can control the world with the flick of my wrist. Learn the difference between keeping everyone at a distance and everyone acknowledging my superiority."

She went to turn away from him when he spoke up again. "I think you're afraid of letting anyone in. I think you would rather everyone fear and hate you than have someone get close enough that they could possibly hurt you."

He could see the fire in her eyes now, burning, as she uncrossed her arms and stepped forward. The face that had only a few minutes before been soft and innocent was now filled with anger, and he swore he could see the veins ready to burst out.

"Do not think the fact that you intrigue me means that I am interested in you. I enjoy you; however, you are a plaything. A commoner. A human." Whereas before it had been like she was just giving him a list, she spat out the last word at him. "You're a little puzzle for me to figure out, and then you will go back to your pathetic dull life. Get a little wolf in you, and maybe we can talk again. Now, excuse me while I go clean up your family's mess."

She stomped away from him and he followed her as she opened up the door and walked further down the hallway. "Caroline, wait-"

He could see that this was clearly her bedroom, and she was pushing her feet into plain leather black boots. She looked up at him for a moment, the anger still in her eyes, and as she marched to the door, she pushed him back out of her way. He followed her as she walked down the stairs, trying to get her to stop, but unable to reach her.

Stefan Salvatore came out of the sitting room, followed closely behind by Bonnie and Elijah. Finn and Alaric were both looking over at him, but his main concern was Caroline. Was she going to lash out? Was the deal still on? Had he upset her too badly?

"Caroline, where are you going?" Stefan asked, and then Caroline turned to look at them all as she flung open the front door.

"Bonnie, the Mikaelsons are going to bring you to their house to start teaching their little witch. I'm going to go deal with their vampire brother. I'll see you there."

She flashed out the door and Klaus looked at his brothers. Bonnie was heading upstairs, presumably to get ready to leave, and Stefan was returning to the sitting room. Elijah stepped forward and grabbed his arm, then asked, "Are you ok, Niklaus? What happened up there?"

The fact of the matter was, Klaus wasn't really sure what had happened up there. Even if he knew, he wasn't sure he really wanted to share. He had been ready to take her, fuck her, possess her, and then she had pulled away. He had tried to talk to her, and she had shut him down.

"I have no idea," he said quietly, then looked at Stefan, who was studying him. It was hard for him to find the right words. Elijah turned to face Stefan as well, and put a question forward for him. "Aren't you going to go with her? Make sure she doesn't do something crazy?"

Stefan shrugged, and stared straight back at Klaus. "Caroline lives by her own rules. Trying to get her to do anything forces her to turn the exact opposite direction. You have a better chance of stopping Alaric from drinking."

* * *

**AN**

**BETAS : a-little-blonde-distraction, livingdeadblondegirl, authenticheart, Topaz Dragon**

**Shout Outs : HybridLovelies! THANKS FOR READING DOLL! I'm so glad my doppelganger's big sis is reading! Cassieeeeeeee I looooooveeeeee yoooouuuuuu!**

**So! This chapter was SUPPOSED to include Caroline/Kol/Bonnie/Rebekah, but I finished the Klaroline scene, and somehow I was over 7k words. I decided to just go ahead and stop. **

**So, I'm sure you all realize what that means... Caroline in the Mikaelson house with the babies, Kol gets to meet Bonnie, Rebekah has girls around that are also annoyed by her brothers, and Elijah / Stefan will have another Hair Care Moment.**

**Oh, and some Klaroline too. Just cause.**

**Someone mentioned not liking so much Caroline in the last chapter. It will rarely happen, but for the scope of the story, we do need to flash out on occasion. It will all make sense later.**

**Read, Review, and Share! Much Love ~Christine~**


	10. Chapter 9: Dangerous Lessons

**Chapter Nine : Dangerous Lessons**

Caroline was glad that Stefan had actually shown her where the Mikaelson house was. She wanted a few minutes to explore and learn before the others arrived. Kol would be easy to handle and the girl would likely shut up after a few threats. She would have just enough time to learn what she needed to.

She knocked twice on the door and could hear two people come rushing to the door. There was talk inside about whether or not to open it, and then the witch peaked through the window. Caroline raised an eyebrow at her, and then Rebekah shook her head and covered it back up.

"Open the bloody door, Rebekah, and let me in," she said, having no patience for games.

"I don't have to if I don't want to. I'm on vervain!" she yelled back.

Caroline rolled her eyes and considered giving her one more chance. "Rebekah, love, either you open the fucking door, or I kick it in. As for an invite, I can still easily throw things at you that will kill you. Once you are dead, then I can just walk in. Now, let's be a good girl and open up.

The door came right open and Caroline gave the girl a smile. "Rebekah, love. How wonderful to see you again. May I come inside?"

Rebekah gulped and nodded her head, leaving Caroline to once more roll her eyes. What was with these humans these days. "The word, sweetheart. You have to actually speak the words."

"Come in," Rebekah said, and Caroline gave her a smile and stepped inside.

"Thank you, darling. Now, go sit down like a good girl, and wait until your brothers arrive."

"Why should I listen to you? I'm not afraid of you," Rebekah said, and Caroline smiled, then shut the door. Kol then came back out from where he was hiding from the sunlight and she beckoned to him.

"Caroline! I'm so glad you're here! What are you going to teach me?"

Caroline let her pupils dilate and Kol slowed his talking. "Kol Mikaelson, you are going to sit down and shut up. Your sister is going to go with you. You will keep her beside you at all costs. Any other commands I give to you, you obey immediately. Do you understand me?"

"I will sit down and shut up. I will not allow Rebekah to leave my side. I will do as you say."

Her eyes returned to normal and she looked at Rebekah, who was staring in shock. "Now go sit down and shut up with your brother."

"How..."

"How did I compel him? We'll discuss that at a later point. Now go be a good girl."

Rebekah nodded and went to sit beside Kol. Caroline gave them another smile, then walked up the stairs in front of her. When she reached the top, she turned to the left on the hallway. She opened up the first door and found... a young boy's room. It looked untouched, but the scent of a recent death lingered. She shut the door and walked to the next one.

Opening it, she found Finn's room. If the smell of hospital cleaner and bleach hadn't been a sign, then the stack of folded scrubs completely gave it away. She walked around the room and found a few small pictures of the Doctor with a red haired woman. Good to know.

She opened up the door across the hallway and found Kol's room. Band posters and naked girls. How absurdly predictable. She stepped in and glanced around a little, not really seeing anything of use. There were no pictures of girlfriends or even really friends. A baseball bat in the corner... ah, there was a team picture. Well, she had some leverage on him now, but emotions could be turned off.

She left that room and walked across the hallway. This room was clearly the master bedroom, but it was empty of real personality. So, no one slept in their parent's old room? Understandable. The last door of the hallway was a bathroom, so she turned around to the other side of the stairs. There, the first door led to a plain empty room. So, they had a guest room as well. Good, then she could leave someone to keep an eye on them and they couldn't use any excuses.

Across from it led to the young hunter's room. There were pictures of the doppelganger on the dresser and she could smell the stench of vervain. There were a few pots of it growing in the corner and she made a mental note to come back by and do something about them. Burning was too easy. Poison them? Replace them with something else? Humans were so annoying when she couldn't compel them.

Three doors left on the hallway. She went to the end to see if it was like the other side, and there was the bathroom. She could smell something flowery and went to that door first, and wasn't surprised to see it belonged to the young witch. This room she stepped into fully, and began looking around. Pictures of her with cheerleaders, a blonde boy wearing a football jersey,pictures with the family,So many people for Caroline to hurt.

And that left one more room. She touched the door handle and paused for a moment, then twisted it and stepped inside. It was nothing, and yet somehow everything, like she had expected. Dark wood, brown walls, lots of earthy and warmth tones... clearly, Rebekah had a hand in decorating, but it was still so masculine. She could smell him in the air. There were no personal pictures anywhere, but there was art on the wall. A few painted landscapes, and a number of sketches, but none that she recognized.

There had to be something in here that would clue her in. She started opening up drawers and found nothing, then pulled out one in particular that held a broken frame inside. She pulled it out and saw Klaus with a young boy. The boy from the picture on the Doctor's desk. Henrik. She stared at it sadly, then returned it to the drawer.

Caroline then stepped over to the desk and saw a large sketchpad. So, the sheriff liked to draw, did he? She flipped open the first page, and was amazed. She looked up at the walls then, at all of the artwork, and it dawned on her who had done it. She had seen a few pieces in the other bedrooms that matched the style, and she knew then that it was Klaus' own work.

She picked up the sketch pad and sat down on the edge of Klaus' bed as she began to flip. There was everything inside from his family to animals and even landscapes. Some had color, but most were just pencil with light shading. She was mesmerized as she started flipping, until she got to one picture that made her drop the book onto her lap.

It was her. He had drawn her. Her hair was straight, just like it was now. She had a smirk on her face in the picture, and he had even gone so far as to use blue on her eyes. There was a brightness to the entire look, and she flipped the page to see the next picture.

It was her, again. She stared down at it, for a second, locking the image in her mind, then laid back on the bed, taking it in. She had been drawn before, of course, although the paintings and portraits had all mysteriously disappeared from the owner's collection after a few years and reappeared in her own. But, they had always been commissioned by some Lord or Monarch, wanting to capture her beauty before she disappeared, which was a trick she was famous for.

Never had it been for the artist's personal desire or pleasure. She had never associated with them, although the musician in her had called out to step down from her social rank. The artists of the past had always captured her rather well, but none of them saw her like this.

His sketch had her hair in their beautiful golden curls and her face looked beautiful, even with the veins spidering out from her eyes, which were blackened. Her full lips were spread to reveal the fangs that still horrified her when she saw them. But this drawing? It wasn't terrifying or scary. She looked like a dark angel.

She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to take it in. How had he managed to draw this? He had only seen her for a split second, and yet he had captured so much. It was like she was staring into the face of what she had become, and she wasn't ashamed. No, she was enchanted. She looked beautiful, in her most terrible and frightening form.

She sat up and shut the sketchbook, not wanting to look anymore. She didn't know what she would find on the next pages, but this was enough to tell her that she had made a mistake. She had seen into the Sheriff's soul by looking at his sketchbook, and she thought back to the last time a servant had looked at her sheet music. She hadn't even bothered to enjoy the blood or the torment, instead removing their heart and throwing the body into the hallway. She shouldn't have looked, and she felt something she hadn't felt in a very long time: guilt.

She could hear a car coming down the long driveway of the Mikaelson property, so she hopped off the bed and returned the sketchbook to it's original place and flashed out of the room and down the stairs. Now, she just had to wait for everyone else to come in, and the fun could begin, just as soon as she got the image of his sketch out of her mind.

.:| The Sanguine Enchantress |:.

Bonnie glanced through all of her grimoires and pulled out three. Two of them were copies that she wouldn't mind allowing the Mikaelson witch to borrow, if not keep, while the other was her own personal grimoire. Even though it had been spelled to be practically indestructible, she still held it close to her body.

Not knowing whether or not the Mikaelsons were truly ready for dealing with a witch in the house, she grabbed one of the boxes of candles that she had in the corner of the room. When she had asked for candles, she had thought Caroline would give her a dozen at best. Instead, box after box of every color, style, and even fragrance had come.

She stacked the grimoires on top of the box of candles and walked out of her room, shutting it behind her. She knew that if anyone entered, her spells would notify her, but temptation was something Tyler Lockwood always gave in to, and she didn't feel like dealing with that right now. It was a few quick steps to go down the stairs, and then the box was gone from her hand. Of course Stefan came to assist her.

Bonnie gave him a brilliant smile then danced down the rest of the stairs. She ignored the Mikaelsons as she walked, knowing that they would be looking at her oddly. It wasn't everyday that they saw a Vampire, and even less likely that they dealt with a witch. Now, they had the only Vampire Witch in front of them. Yes, she drank blood, and yes, she did kill. But, she still kept herself together. She had to draw completely on nature to perform her magic, as she had no help from the spirits. And that meant living a life that she danced through.

She was ready to test out her new vehicle, but next thing she knew, Stefan was opening the passenger door to the Mikaelson's SUV and offering her a hand in. She looked at the others, who were clearly uncomfortable with the idea of riding in a close SUV with two Originals, but she said nothing and got in, then took her items from Stefan.

The drive was silent as they drove towards the town itself and Bonnie stared idly out the window. It was awkward silence, and after a few minutes Alaric spoke up. "So how does a witch become a Vampire? I thought that if a witch was turned, she was just a vampire."

Bonnie didn't remove her eyes from the wildlife outside as she idly spoke. "When I did the spell, my witch side wasn't locked, much like how Caroline's wasn't either. The spirits stopped talking to me, but they never took away my ability to channel nature."

"What spell?" Elijah asked.

Bonnie heard the question but was too busy trying to figure out the vehicle. She had seen Caroline push a button the day before that made the windows disappear. The vehicle was too stuffy and she needed the fresh air on the face.

"The windows - can you make them disappear?" she asked, looking to Finn beside her as he drove. He looked at her in shock then nodded and suddenly the window beside her was down. She let out a laugh and stuck her hand out of it, then took in a deep breath of the air.

"Doesn't she know how windows work?" asked Alaric. She didn't like him very much. He smelled worse than Tyler and seemed to ask all of the wrong questions.

"Bonnie has been asleep for over twenty years. Things change over that time." She let a smile dance across her face as she listened to Stefan defending her. As they drove, she twirled her fingers, and settled back into the chair. She missed riding horses. Women were always supposed to ride in a carriage, but Caroline refused to be weak and Bonnie loved being outside too much. These metal cages were horrifying without the windows down.

"What spell was it you cast?" Elijah asked again.

Bonnie had pulled her hand back in through the window and was now fiddling with a button beside her that seemed to make the window go up and down. She was raising it now and waited until it was fully closed before turning around in her chair to face Elijah. He had been leaning forward and jumped back startled at her turning to face him.

"When I created Vampires," she said, shrugging.

The vehicle slammed to a stop and she looked up at Finn in shock, her hands trying to brace her and her teeth wanting to drop from the sudden startle.

"You created WHAT?" Finn growled out.

"Vampires. Well, I cast the spell."

"Vampires... came from a spell?" Elijah asked, and she shrugged. Her eyes caught Stefan's, who then put his face into his hands.

"You shouldn't have told them," Stefan said, but Bonnie shrugged.

"I'm the one that cast the spell. I'm the one that had to deal with the punishment. It's my secret to tell. I made no mention of anything that had to do with Caroline's struggle and her curse."

Stefan shook his head at her and she shrugged. "I created Vampires. I casted a spell that was entrusted in my family grimoire on my friends to protect us, and this is what we became. Now, drive."

The drive resumed and then the car was turning off the main road. There were trees all around them and Bonnie sat back with a smile. So beautiful. They stopped in front of a large house and Bonnie waited patiently for Stefan to come to her door. It was surprising when instead, Elijah was the one opening it.

He took the box from her lap and she gave him a nod as Stefan then stepped up and offered her his hand. She took it and he helped her down from the vehicle, then looped her arm through his. Always the gentleman. She noticed Elijah watching them and she gave him a smile, then said, "Stefan has always enjoyed the class of the Old World. We are very old, Mr Mikaelson. We tend to keep with old world traditions such as chivalry and manners."

Elijah bowed his head slightly in response, and then they were approaching the front door. Two yelling voices met her ears, and when a third yelled out with a command, Bonnie and Stefan locked eyes.

Stefan seemed to regain his senses quickly. "I'm going to kill her for this..."

.:| The Queen of the Heartless |:.

"You can't just leave him stuck in here, nor can you force me to stay here! What the hell is wrong with you? When my brothers get back, you're going to regret this, do you hear me? You're going to regret this!"

Caroline had her face buried in both of her hands, trying to get rid of the impending headache. The girl wouldn't stop yelling at her from where she sat on the couch, as she had already tried twice to get up and Kol had tugged her back down, as per his compulsion. This girl was seriously starting to get on her nerves.

"Will you please just shut up?" she growled out, her eyes darkening slightly as she looked at the girl. Rebekah squeaked and shut her mouth and Caroline grinned, then let her face return to normal. Well, that at least worked.

"I can't believe they are actually scared of you. You have no power over me. I would rather die than do as you say."

Caroline flashed into the room and loomed over the girl. "That can easily be arranged, sweetheart, but given the fact that I promised not to hurt you, you will get to live for now. Your brother, on the other hand..."

Rebekah sat down in her seat and Caroline smiled at her. "Now, Kol, love, you're allowed to speak, but you are only allowed to speak the truth."

Kol grinned and turned to Rebekah. "Oh, I like her. She has fire. And you were being a whiny bitch."

Caroline laughed and looked at Rebekah, who was staring with her mouth wide open. "One of my favorite little tricks, sweetheart."

Kol looked back at her with a grin. He clearly didn't care that he had to tell the truth. "Now tell me, Kol. Who is the girl in the pictures with Finn?"

"Sage. She's Finn's girlfriend and works at the hospital."

"Very good, love. And the boy in Rebekah's pictures?"

"Kol, no!" The girl was horrified but Caroline smiled at her, as Kol was forced to answer.

"Matt Donovan. Alright guy, but a bit poor for our dear sister."

"Lovely. And who is your special companion?"

"Myself."

Caroline burst out laughing at that. Of course he would say that. She settled back into the chair she was in and heard the door open. Her eyes raised to see the Mikaelson brood come in, followed by Stefan and Bonnie, whom Elijah had just invited in.

"What do you think of Finn?"

"He's a dullard."

Caroline laughed again and looked up at Stefan. "I bloody love how much fun compelling honesty can be."

"I do too. I have an excuse to be honest!" Kol said, grinning at everyone around him. She could see Bonnie standing at the door, shaking her head. Stefan was standing beside her, practically seething.

"And the doppelganger. What do you think of her? Is she a whore like the original version?"

"She has nice boobs, but she's a bit of a bitch. She already slept with two Mikaelsons, and I don't feel like being the third."

Caroline laughed even harder and saw the anger and confusion on the Mikaelson's faces. She rose from where she had sat herself and smiled at the group as a whole. "Sorry, loves. Was just having a bit of fun with your brother."

"You were supposed to teach him control," Klaus said, and she rolled her eyes.

"It'll take two seconds, and I needed a human here to show it worked. Want to be the volunteer?" Klaus raised his chin up at her and she smirked at him. Of course he wouldn't back down. "No, I think I'll use Elijah instead, so you can watch what I can do."

Elijah stepped forward bravely when she raised her hand to him, and she brought him over to stand beside Kol, who was watching them both. "Kol, do you hear the blood rushing in his veins?"

The veins spiked up slightly, and he let out a strangled, "Yes."

"Listen to me. When you hear that blood rushing in your sibling's veins, or when you can smell it, or even see it, you will not want to feed. You will not let your fangs out. You will want nothing to do with their blood. Do you understand me?"

"Yes," Kol said, and she gave him a smile. She then looked over at Klaus, who was watching her, and then she raised Elijah's arm to her lips. His eyes were wide as she bit down into his wrist, and removed her mouth quickly, so none of his poisonous blood would hurt her. The blood that was on the tip of her fangs barely made her flinch.

She raised the wrist up to Kol's face. There was no sign of the spidery veins or even darkness in his eyes. He wasn't responding to the blood. She smiled triumphantly at the group, then noticed that Stefan's eyes were locked on Elijah's wrist.

She rolled her eyes and bit into her own wrist, then swiped her finger over some of the blood and shoved it into Elijah's mouth. His eyes went wide but she had already removed her hand from his mouth, and she looked down to see the bite marks on his wrist gone.

"Why the hell did you do that?" Elijah asked.

"Why the hell would you bring a bloody ripper to a lesson on control around blood?"

She looked up at Stefan, who had seemed to regain control, and then she looked back at the group. "My job here is done. Give the boy blood bags and don't let him leave the house again. Have a good day."

"Caroline..." She had been ready to flash to the front door and leave the Mikaelsons when she heard Bonnie calling out her name. She turned towards her friend with a raised eyebrow.

"Bonnie..." Bonnie met her back with a glare, and they were having a silent conversation about whether or not Caroline had fulfilled her end of the deal, and how wrong it was to just compel him.

"You're beautiful!"

The girls, who had been staring at each other, both turned to look at Kol. His eyes were locked on Bonnie, and it looked as though he was aching to move towards her, although the compulsion was still there for him to not move from his spot.

"You are absolutely, breathtakingly beautiful."

Caroline looked over at Stefan and burst out laughing. She was nearly bent over, laughing so hard. Of all the things that the baby vampire could have said while he was forced to tell the truth, that was not it. What was it with the Mikaelson boys having interest in the Original ladies?

"Kol, shut up and sit down."

He did as he was said and Caroline kept laughing. "Your brother has the hots for the Original Witch. This is priceless."

"Caroline, it's not that funny," Bonnie hissed, and Caroline shook her head no.

"Kol here thinks that he is the ultimate playboy, but he takes one look at you, and now there are stars in his eyes." She looked back up to see Bonnie now had a grin on her face, and Caroline laughed even harder. "Oh, Bonnie love, I will never understand the magic you work without even meaning to."

"I don't understand what's so funny about me finding her absolutely beautiful. I mean, you're hot and all, Caroline, but Bonnie is a beautiful, caramel goddess that I want to take upstairs and-"

"SHUT UP, KOL," came the resounding voice of the entire room, including Caroline, and Kol's mouth snapped shut.

"Best use of compulsion I've ever done," Caroline muttered, and ran her fingers back through her hair. That earlier thought of her head pounding was coming back. She needed to feed.

"How can you compel him? I didn't think vampires could compel other vampires," asked the one who's name she didn't know. She raised an eyebrow at him and glanced at Stefan, then turned back to the drunk.

"Did you know that a vampire's senses are heightened? I can smell the stale whiskey on your breath. The vervain that you have on you and likely in you. I can smell the cheap wood you used to carve a stake that you want to shove into my heart. I'm going to guess that you are a vampire hunter. Am I correct?"

She had been walking towards him as she spoke and stopped infront of him. He was standing beside Klaus and it took all of her willpower to not look up at him. Those drawings... what was he seeing now? Was he mesmerized, or horrified?

"Yes," the man said. "The name's Alaric Saltzman."

She stared at him for a moment then turned her head slightly to Kol. "Kol, who is it that Alaric Saltzman holds most dear? You may speak."

The man's eyes went wide, and Kol answered, "Jenna Sommers. She's Katherine's aunt."

Caroline smiled at the man. "Thank you, Kol. Now, shut up."

She turned around, giving Alaric a good view of the center of her back where he could try and stake her, and she was mildly disappointed as she walked over to where Stefan stood, away from the group. At least the man had gotten the message, that she was not to be messed with. When she got to Stefan, she gave him a smile, then turned to face the rest of the group.

"You already know that we are the Original Vampires. With that comes certain abilities that make us... truly special vampires. We cannot be killed like normal vampires. We are stronger and faster than any other we face. And, we can compel other vampires. And you all thought you were so safe with your little vervain trick."

She let a smirk slide across her face then, and turned to Bonnie, who was glaring at her. "I know, Bonnie, you're annoyed with me, but they did try to stake me. I was nice until they actually tried to kill me. Tell the group, love, what happens to those that try to kill me or one of our family?"

Bonnie shifted for a moment then said, "They die. As does everyone they have ever loved. After they have all been tortured."

Caroline smiled at her and looked back to the group. "And yet, you're all still alive. Now, you see why this places me in a bit of a bind. I have a reputation, you know, and I like to maintain it. But you see, I really do not feel like babysitting a doppelganger, so instead, that task falls to all of you."

She looked at Klaus now and her eyes locked with his. "You made a deal with me, Niklaus Mikaelson. Will you uphold it?"

"Yes."

"Now tell them the deal that we made."

He swallowed for a moment, then spoke. "You teach Kol control and how to be a vampire, and Rebekah how to control her powers, and in exchange, we will protect Katherine and not try to kill you again or betray any of your family."

Well, she was a little impressed that he could still think after earlier. "Very good. And should you betray me, what will I do?"

"We won't betray you," he said, stepping forward, as if to protect them. She crossed her arms over her chest and raised an eyebrow.

"For the sake of my own amusement, let's say what if you betray me. What is the punishment?"

"You will kill us."

She raised her finger as if she was thinking about what he said and shook her head a little. "I think I was a bit more specific than that..."

"... You'll rip us all to shreds."

"Yes, that's what it was. I will rip you all limb from limb."

"Caroline!" Stefan growled, out, at the same time as Bonnie said, "What is wrong with you?"

She turned to them both, annoyed. "I really liked that dress and now I can't get the blood out! I'm letting them live! What more do you want from me?"

"You could uncompel Kol for starters," Klaus said, and she turned slowly to face him. He was only a few steps away from her now. She walked towards him until she was but a hand's width away, and even though she was shorter, it was as though she was looking down at him.

"I strongly suggest that you remove yourself and your elder siblings along with Stefan. I'll deal with Kol while Bonnie takes care of Rebekah. Now get out. I'm still half considering killing you for what you said earlier."

Their eyes met and she could see the lust and fire in them. He was enjoying this, trying to stand up to her, but she was far stronger. He bowed his head after a few moments, and walked away from her, dragging his protesting elder siblings with him. Stefan glared at her for a moment, then followed the brothers out. Caroline followed them and shut the doors behind them.

"Burn Sage. I don't want them to overhear," she said to Bonnie, who was already pulling out the sage and began to perform the spell.

"What's that-"

"Questions later, little witch. Let Bonnie do her work and then we can talk."

The girl was miraculously quiet as Caroline went over to the box of candles that Elijah had left behind and began taking them out and setting them in a circle on the floor. Once they were all out and the sage was properly burning, Caroline stepped out of the area while Bonnie sat down.

Bonnie beckoned to Rebekah. "Come sit."

Caroline sat down on the couch beside Kol, and looked at him with his mouth still shut. "Alright. I'm going to remove my compulsion on you, but I'm going to request that you please try and not talk that much, and let the witches to their work while we do ours, alright?"

Kol nodded his head, and Caroline stared into his eyes, letting her pupils expand. "Kol, all compulsion I have placed on you is now removed, save for the urge to eat your siblings."

She pulled away from him and gave him a moment, then asked, "What do you think of Rebekah?"

"She's pretty."

The little witch looked up and shook her head. "It didn't work."

"Nope, it worked," he said with a grin. She looked ready to come attack Kol, but Caroline had already smacked him over the back of the head.

"The sage won't burn forever and we have a lot to talk about. Now, shut up and let them get started, then we can begin."

The candles circled around Bonnie and Rebekah came to life, save for one that was sitting between them. They all watched as Bonnie spoke in hushed tones to Rebekah, which Caroline ignored as she then turned to Kol. "You are still breathing, which is bad. You don't need to breath as a Vampire. Breathing gives you away as a newborn around other Vampires, but breathing around humans is both good and bad. Their smell will invade you, but you will also blend in."

She then touched the ring on her finger. "This allows me to walk in the sunlight. Once we have your abilities under control, Bonnie will make you a daylight ring. Blood bags are your friend, as is alcohol and eating human food. While they do not satiate you, they will take off the edge. Do you understand so far?"

Kol nodded, so she continued. "Finn and Elijah both have Stefan's number, but I am going to give you my number as well. If you think you are going to lose control, you call me. You not fucking this up as a vampire is now my responsibility. There are many other things you need to learn, but we are going to start with control, alright?"

He nodded once more, and she turned to look at the witch's progress. They were both staring at the unlit candle while Bonnie helped her to concentrate on it. It would take many lessons before Rebekah would be doing real spells, but every little step helped.

"You need to get one of your siblings off of vervain, Kol. I don't care which one, but you need to learn how to compel and how to drink blood from the vein and stopping before you kill. Can you do that?"

"I'll ask Nik," he said, and Caroline nodded. That was what she had assumed; of course, Klaus would be the one.

"If you take a bit of vervain and put it in a piece of jewelry for him to wear, he will still be immune to compulsion. He'll just have to take it off for our lessons. Vervain burns, incase you didn't know, so make certain to not touch any vervain in this house."

He nodded again, and then Caroline sat back to think. There was so much for her to tell him, but too much and he would forget... She wasn't going to follow him around and hold his hand while he learned to control his feeding. Most vampires just turned off their emotions while they learned how to properly feed, but she knew that the Mikaelsons would never agree to that.

The candle flickered to life, and Caroline smiled at the joy on Rebekah's face. It was a sweet moment, seeing a witch perform her first bit of magic. Bonnie was smiling as well, and congratulating the girl. The grimoires were now spread out around them as Bonnie began explaining the history behind a grimoire and bloodlines, meaning that it was time for Caroline to get to work on Kol.

Kol nodded his head at that, then looked over at Bonnie. Caroline knew that Bonnie had seen him looking at her, but she was bent back over the grimoires once more. A smile slid across her face as she watched the attraction going on between her favorite witch and the baby vampire. This could be interesting...

"Bonnie, love, what do you think about giving our new little vampire a daylight ring?"

Bonnie jerked her head up and looked at Caroline, who was smiling. She shrugged and Caroline turned in her seat to look at Kol. "Go find a piece of jewelry that you will actually wear. You will never be able to take it off again, unless you can find another witch to do the spell or you want to die, so choose carefully."

Kol grinned and got up from the couch and left the room. When he was gone, Caroline sat down on the floor with Bonnie and Rebekah. "Stop your stupid lesson; you can continue this later. Bonnie Bennett, have you already got another boy wrapped around your finger? Are you going to create something brilliant this time or destroy."

Bonnie rolled her eyes as she looked at Caroline. "Not all of my relationships end up on the extreme."

Caroline burst out laughing. "You've caused three wars, inspired the Renaissance, brought about the Transcontinental Railroad across this bloody country, and broke the bloody Catholic Church in England! A fair number of your relationships end up in an extreme!"

"How did you break up the Catholic Church?" Rebekah asked, and Caroline grinned to the girl. She always did love to tell a good story.

"You see, sweetheart, during the reign of Henry VIII, our Bonnie here found her way in and out of the King's bed. No one really knew, truth be told, given that I was the one that sat at the King's side, but I was busy with another at the time..."

"She means to say she was sleeping with Tyler during those years," Bonnie said, and Caroline turned to glare at Bonnie.

"Yes, Bonnie, I slept with Tyler off and on throughout a millennia, it is what it is. I got bored. Now, back to the story. His Queen, Catherine, did not trust any of us. For some unknown reason, she was on vervain, although I doubt she knew the herb's true purpose. She was quite rude to all of us, so one day, Bonnie place a spell on her that she couldn't carry a child."

"Not my finest moment..." Bonnie said, looking away.

"It was bloody brilliant! It brought her right down a few notches, and when we had to move on, Bonnie planted the idea into the King's head that his problem with conceiving a son was not his fault. Of course, it was his fault as well, for bad seed landing in a fertile field would produce no fruit. Given that Catherine had a field of rocks..."

Caroline shrugged as she thought back on it. "In the end, Henry broke all ties with the Catholic Church so that he could marry Anne Boleyn and put aside Catherine. It didn't all work out too well for him, but I still find it entertaining."

Rebekah's eyes were wide and Caroline grinned. "What shocks you more? The fact that we are royalty, or the fact that we had such an impact on history?"

"How many men have you slept with?!"

Bonnie burst out laughing at that question and Caroline let out a chuckle. "Sweetheart, we're a thousand years old. I have no bloody idea."

"Have you slept with anyone I would know?"

Caroline thought about it for a moment, then remembered that there had been a movie star a few years back. "There was this one Irish bloke - he was rather ruggedly handsome and had the look of a man that could get you in trouble - his name was Colin. He actually ended up playing a vampire in a movie a few years back... what was his last name."

Rebekah screamed and jumped up. "Oh my god, you slept with Colin Farrell?"

Caroline smiled at the girl's enthusiasm. "That was his name. Colin Farrell. I wouldn't exactly say that I slept with him. More like, he was a wild stallion I had to tame. And this was all back when he was a bad boy... a very bad boy." After all, she had been the one that sent him to rehab.

The door opened once more and Caroline turned around to see Kol returning with his ring. She let the smile on her face drop and she returned to her earlier seat on the couch. "Hand the ring to Bonnie, sweetheart, and we'll get to work on your control."

He did so and Caroline sat back, waiting for him to join her as she contemplated her options. "Alright then, little vampire. I am going to leave my compulsion about your siblings in place, but you have to learn how to feed eventually. I'm going to give you the task that we all used to learn to control our feeding, but I'm going to compel you so that you have to do it."

Kol nodded his head and looked at her expectantly. Her eyes once more widened, and she spoke clearly as she gave her command. "Whenever the urge to feed from anything other than a bloodbag begins to surface, you will count to ten, slowly, while holding your breath. Once you reach ten, you will take in a deep breath. Should the desire still be there, you will make your excuses, turn around, and count to ten once more while you move away from everyone around you. Once you reach ten, you will take another deep breath. If you still want to feed, you will run away as fast as a human can, until you reach somewhere that you can no longer smell human blood."

Both of their eyes returned to normal, and she sat back, smiling. "There you have it. As you learn to control it more, I'll lessen the compulsion until you no longer need it. Any questions?"

"Just one. What do you mean this is how you learned to feed? Who compelled you?"

Caroline shook her head slightly. "This isn't how most Vampires learn to feed. Most turn off their humanity and drink and kill to their heart's content until they are either killed by other vampires because of exposure, or until they feel guilty for all of the death they have caused. Given that we were the first, we had to figure this out on our own."

"Why can't I turn off my humanity then?"

"Do you want to kill your siblings and every human you have ever met?"

Kol's eyes went wide as he shook his head, and she nodded. "When you turn off your humanity, you no longer care about anything other than the hunger. It is not something you want to do, nor is it something your siblings would agree to. It is best you learn like this."

"How did you learn to control it, then?"

She looked over at Bonnie, who was staring at her sadly. Caroline lowered her head slightly, then looked back up at Kol. "All of us moved out of our village once we realized that we thirsted for blood. I would help them to drink and stop before they took too much, then compel them to forget and send them back to town. Eventually, everyone learned how to control it. Bonnie had the easiest time of it, given she already had control as a witch. She helped me from there."

"And you?"

Caroline had been trying to avoid this question, but it was perhaps a good thing for him to learn. "I killed, almost always. When I drank blood, I would go beyond the point of no return. Eventually, I learned how to stop myself, but it took a long time to get there. Once I started, it was nearly impossible to stop."

"So you turned your humanity off, then?"

"Pretty much every vampire has at some point. Bonnie never has, but, she has also never killed. She drinks as needed, but she always stops in time. All of those years learning to control her powers helped her to learn how to control everything that a vampire feels."

She pushed her lips together for a moment, then licked them, trying to find the right words. "As for myself, I have always felt the need to have complete control; it's in my nature as an Alpha. I had to protect my family, no matter the cost. So, every kill, and every death, and every loss? I've felt it. I've never turned off my humanity."

.:| The Lone Pup |:.

He had given up very quickly from trying to overhear what was being said in the room, after he heard Caroline request sage. Everyone else had moved into the kitchen, where Stefan was talking about everything he did to his hair. Everyone else in the room seemed interested enough, but Elijah was hanging onto his every word.

When Klaus had heard the door open and seen Kol walking upstairs, his feet had taken him to the door of the sitting room. When his brother came back down, holding his varsity baseball ring, he didn't completely shut the door, and now he could overhear everything.

His heart stopped at her words. There was so much more to this beautiful blonde vampire than he had ever guessed. He could hear the sadness and loneliness in her voice as she spoke. From what he had read in the grimoire, vampires had everything heightened, including their emotions. She had never shut hers off? How much could possibly be weighing on her soul?

A hand clapped on his shoulder and he turned around to see Stefan standing there. He opened his mouth to speak but Stefan shook his head and beckoned a finger. Klaus followed, not saying a word, until they returned to the kitchen. There was a pad and pencil that sat on the counter that Stefan picked up and began writing.

_Keep talking._

He showed that to the others, then turned to Klaus, and began writing on a new sheet.

_Do not try to understand Caroline Forbes. She is closed off even to me. You will never fully grasp the pain that she has endured. And do not repeat the words she spoke in there. Do you understand?_

Klaus nodded his head, then took the pencil and began writing his own note.

_She feels she is alone and can trust no one._

Stefan stared at the note and didn't move. Klaus waited for some sort of a response, and the vampire eventually took the pencil back. The pencil kept almost making it to the paper, as if he was looking for the right words to say.

_That's because she can't._

.:| The Queen of the Heartless |:.

The lessons complete, Caroline got up from the sofa, ready to go home. It had been a long day and all she wanted now was to slip into bed and sleep for a century. There was so much left to do before the ritual, and the full moon was only twenty days away. She still had to deal with Tyler and establish control over the doppelganger, while continuing to hide from her enemies. Twenty days was a blink of the eye after being alive for so long.

The men were all gathered outside the sitting room and she raised an eyebrow at them. "What is it you want now?"

"We want to know if our brother is fixed," Elijah said. The words made her still, thinking back to her father. He had wanted to fix her once.

"Your brother will learn to adapt. He doesn't need to be fixed. He can't just be_ fixed_." She spat the words out at them and shook her head. Their brother was now far stronger than they would ever be. They should be grateful for the gift she had placed upon him.

"Will he ever be able to go outside like you can?" Klaus asked, as Kol came up beside her. She rolled her eyes at the Sheriff, then looked to make sure Kol was wearing his ring. She flashed over to the door and opened it up. The elder Mikealsons all made a dash to stop her, but Kol was grinning, standing in the doorway.

"Never thought I would miss the sun so much," he said, smiling at his siblings.

Caroline turned to face the Mikaelsons again while Kol ran off into the yard, playing like some long cooped up puppy.

"If he ever annoys you too much, just take away his ring." Klaus looked down at the ring on her own hand and she rolled her eyes and took it off her finger.

"I am not stupid, love. Most of what I wear is enchanted to protect me." She had to resist the urge to touch her beaded necklace, knowing it would be a give away to what else was enchanted.

Stefan and Bonnie were already walking outside, followed by the rest of the Mikaelsons, leaving her and Klaus standing there. Her eyes drifted back to Kol, who was still outside laughing as he ran in the sun, and Rebekah was now joining him, a large smile clear across her face. It was such a carefree moment and she envied them.

"Why do you care so much that people fear you?"

Caroline looked up at Klaus for a moment, and she let the mask slip. It was terrible, at times, knowing how feared she was. How people were scared of even just her name. The entire idea of keeping up this identity was exhausting at times.

"When people fear you, they don't betray you." She looked up into his eyes as she spoke, and she saw that he was looking at her as if she wasn't this terrible thing. There was no fear, anger, or even lust. It was like he truly saw her. Her mind flashed back to the drawing and she had to close her eyes and look away from him.

His hand caressed her arm and she stilled. Whereas his earlier touches had been done in lust and want, this was gentle, and loving. She had no idea how to respond as he stepped closer to her, and she could feel him at her side, looking down at her. Her eyes were lowered to the ground, and she didn't dare look up.

"Who has betrayed you, Caroline?"

Her head jerked up at his words, and she looked at him, anger now filling her entire being. He looked shocked as their eyes met, and she pushed her lips together, trying to resist the urge to rip out his heart right there. How dare he even think to ask such a question of her.

She shook her head slightly at him, feeling disgusted with both herself and him. How could she, for even a moment, let her mask slide. She took a few steps away from him, then flashed out the door, ready to just run home.

.:| The Lone Pup |:.

Klaus stood there sadly, watching her run away. The entire day was running back through his mind. Every word she had spoken was being replayed, every little glimpse of what she kept inside was drawn into his mind. There was so much more to Caroline Forbes than he had ever imagined, and he wanted to know it all.

He finally shut the door and went upstairs to his room. He could smell her as he stepped inside. She had been up here, in his room. He noticed that the sketchpad wasn't where he had left it and he realized then that she had likely seen his drawings. Klaus wasn't quite sure whether he was embarrassed or proud. Had she liked them?

He fell onto the bed, then rolled over on it. She had been on his bed. She had actually touched his bed. The entire idea of it made him rock solid for her all over again, and he had to suppress a groan. He wanted her, that much was certain, but he wanted more than just her body. She was a mystery he wanted to solve. She was a dance he wanted to join. She was a piece of artwork that he wished to explore and enjoy and appreciate for hours on end.

Klaus let his head fall back onto the pillow and he laid there, staring at the ceiling, more confused than ever. What had Stefan's note meant? And why had she given his brother the ability to go outside again? She put on such a front that she was so evil and threatened them constantly, and yet she was actually doing good things. She hadn't killed anyone. She wasn't going to kill Katherine. She was teaching his brother.

Who was this girl, and what secrets was she keeping?

* * *

**A/N**

**Betas : livingdeadblondegirl, alittleblondedistraction, topazdragon, klarolineepiclove**

**REVIEWS ARE LOVE!**

**So, I'm the worst person ever. I seriously meant to have this done by Friday night, but then it was Saturday, then Sunday, then Monday, and here it is, late Tuesday night, and I'm finally posting. I'm a terrible person.**

**Why, you ask? Because I started up RPing on Tumblr. And I love it. And I was kind of lost when it came to writing this chapter. When I started it, I wasn't 100% on what was going to be said. In the end, I love it.**

**Now, since I made you all wait so long, I'll give you a little hint about the next chapter... we're going to finally meet our doppelganger, and that first scene where we meet Elijah? It will be recreated for QotH... Enjoy.**


	11. Chapter 10 : Loyalty

**Chapter Ten : Loyalty**

_The year was 1193. England was no longer a safe place to be, with Richard the Lionheart captured and his brother, John, trying to take the throne. The Original family had chosen to instead take up residence in what had recently been called France, but were avoiding the court of Phillip II, given that they were, at present, acting as English noblemen. Caroline wanted to move onto Rome and establish roots in the Papal States, but she was met with resistance from the group. She did not fight them on it, and chose to enjoy the French countryside._

_Their days were filled with horseback riding, pursuing various pleasures, and in general enjoying their lives. Their nights were filled with parties and guests and copious amounts of blood. Jeremy and Anna were in love, Bonnie had found herself a new student, Damon and Elena were not fighting, and even Stefan had found himself a set of twins that enjoyed warming his bed. On top of it all, Caroline and Tyler were happy._

_So very happy. He treated her like a Queen, and she loved every moment they spent together. They would drink together and spend days in bed, enjoying the love that they had. She knew that one day they would get married, and had in fact posed as husband and wife on occasion while visiting a few courts, but they had never truly swapped rings. She knew that they had forever, but she prayed that one day their wedding would come._

_Caroline leaned back in Tyler's arm as she shared his horse. They were racing across their estate, enjoying the wind in their hair. One of his arms was wrapped across her body while the other held the reins tight. They were both naturals on horses, after all these years, and this one in particular was a prize. She had given him to Tyler on his birthday the year before. She always gave him the best she had to offer._

_"Come to my bedchamber tonight?" she asked in his ear, as they drew closer to the estate. His lips buried in his hair, and she knew that he was going to deny her. He always did this when he would deny her. They were both supernatural, and their desires were heightened. How could he possibly ever resist her?_

_"I have business to attend to in town. Tomorrow."_

_"Business? What business, my love?"_

_"Never you mind, Caroline. It is simply a man's business." He placed a kiss on her lips, then helped her down from his horse so she could go inside. He turned his horse back out of the estate, and she watched him go, puzzled._

_These excuses had been coming more and more. Always something about 'man's business'. Two hundred years before, she had been the one in charge. All business was her business, regardless of the nature. Now, he was starting to pull away. Taking control. He had even taken to choosing the clothing she wore or selecting their guests for parties. They were small things, but they bothered her, greatly. She was the powerful one, yet he was pushing her around._

_It was later, during her bath, that she realized what she had to do. Whatever this business was, it was her priority. She was the one that protected the rest of them. She was the one that held contacts, although Stefan almost rivaled her in numbers. She had someone in every court and every notable home. She was the one that moved them before threats came too close. Whatever this business was, it might threaten them all._

_She wore a riding dress with split skirts and a black cape over the top. Her horse was saddled by the time she was fully dressed, and she rode into town. Her vampire senses could hear over the hum of the local tavern, and she recognized a voice coming from upstairs that belonged to Tyler. The words were vulgar in nature, and should have alerted her to what was going on, but she refused to believe it. They had been together over two centuries. He wouldn't be... no._

_Caroline had to see it for herself._

_She got down from her horse and threw the reins to a stableboy. Upon entering the tavern, she was greeted with the stench of alcohol and unbathed men. They all looked at her and a few got down, bowing to her, as they recognized who she was, but most just laughed. They had to have recognized one of their local Lords disappearing upstairs with the normal filth of women that perused these establishments._

_She ignored them all and walked up the stairs until she was outside of the door that she knew would Tyler. With a simple push of her arm against the bolted wood, the door was knocked down. The girl that was under Tyler screamed, and he looked up in shock. "Caroline... wait, it's not what it looks like..."_

_"It isn't? Because I'm pretty sure it looks like you're rutting with some piece of trash. A common whore. Truly, Tyler, is this the 'business' that you had to attend to this evening?"_

_"Caroline, if you'll just let me explain-" He was already off the girl and trying to pull clothes on, but all Caroline felt was anger. Two hundred thirty eight years, wasted, on Tyler Richardson Lockwood. She had forced herself to love him, knowing that was her father's wish. He had been turned into a Vampire at her request to Bonnie. He owed her everything, and this was her repayment._

_"I strongly suggest you close your mouth, Tyler," she said, her head shaking slightly. The girl on the bed tried to get up and run, but Caroline flashed to her and ripped her heart out. The blood splattered down the front of her gown, but she didn't care._

_"Caroline!"_

_She turned towards him, her eyes dark, and she broke off the leg from a table and stabbed it straight into his heart. He gasped out, then fell to the ground as she let him drop. He would awaken in a few hours._

_"What is going on here?" came a man's voice, and she turned to see it was one of the inhabitants from downstairs. She flashed to the man and bit into his neck, then crushed his heart with her hand. Man after man and whore after whore, she crushed their hearts, ripped off their heads, and drank them dry. She didn't stop until her dress was near saturated in blood, and there were no beating hearts remaining._

_She dragged Tyler's temporarily dead body outside and threw it over his horse and lead it home while riding her own. When she reached the manor, she dragged Tyler's body in by his hair. Stefan was the first to find her, and took in her blood soaked state._

_"Caroline, what happened?" he asked, and came to look at Tyler. "Why is Tyler still staked? Why have you not removed it?"_

_"Did you know?" she asked, her voice emotionless._

_"Know what, Caroline?"_

_"What is going on here, wench?"_

_"Caroline? Oh my heavens, Caroline, are you alright?"_

_Damon and Elena had come down to join them, and she stared at them, her face blank. Even though her dress was starting to dry, she knew she still had blood dripping from her hair. "Did you know that he was being unfaithful?"_

_The room went silent, and she heard Stefan hiss. "He was WHAT?!"_

_Stefan hadn't known. She looked over to Elena and Damon. Elena's eyes were wide, but Damon was looking away. Damon had known._

_"How long has he been whoring behind my back?" Her voice was calm, and even. She felt nothing as she spoke. Only emptiness. Two hundred thirty eight years, wasted. They were not perfect, but she made herself believe they were. She had done it, been with Tyler, because of her father._

_Elena stepped towards her and Caroline looked over at her slowly. "Caroline, did you turn it off?"_

_She burst out laughing. Turn it off? What a stupid idea. She didn't want to lose control. She didn't need to learn control. No, what she had done tonight, she was perfectly in control. "On the contrary, Elena. I am fully aware of the decisions I'm making, and I am doing them based upon my emotions. You have simply never seen me acting in response to betrayal before now."_

_Her eyes flicked over to Damon again, and she didn't keep the veins down as they rose to the surface. "How long was Tyler unfaithful?"_

_Damon was silent for a moment, then said, "I didn't know that he had been unfaithful the past two centuries, but he was sleeping with Vicki before we were turned."_

_Vicki. The village whore. He had sworn to her that he had never touched her. "How long?"_

_"Long enough that she bore his child."_

_Caroline stared at Damon with empty eyes. Her voice was but a whisper as she spoke. "Go find Bonnie."_

_Elena rushed off to find their witch and Caroline ripped the stake out of Tyler's chest. He should be waking up within thirty minutes - and by then, Bonnie would almost be done with her spell._

_"Caroline, what's going on?"_

_"Do you remember the spell we talked about? The one that we could use just in case?"_

_Bonnie gasped. "Caroline, what happened?"_

_"It seems our Lord Lockwood here has been playing under the skirts of every village girl he sees. Not too smart of the mutt, if you ask-" Caroline flashed forward and grabbed Damon by his neck._

_"You will silence your tongue, else I shall rip it from your throat."_

_Damon stared down at her in shock and she dropped him to the ground to return to Bonnie. "A hundred years, Bennett. He will be imprisoned for a hundred years for what he has done. Do it."_

_Bonnie stared at her in shock. Never before had Caroline spoken so harshly to any of them. She turned away from the group and began walking towards the great hall. There was a large chair there that she found comfortable. A servant brought her a goblet of wine and she sat down in front of the fire and drank from it._

_Stefan joined her a few minutes later. He sat in the chair beside hers as they stared into the fire._

_"Love is a weakness," she said after a few minutes._

_"No, Caroline. Love is good. Love is pure. What you and Tyler had? That wasn't love."_

_"And what you and Tatia had was love?" Her words were cruel, and Stefan didn't respond._

_"Love is truly a weakness." Silence settled over them and she stared into the burning logs, wishing that her feelings for Tyler could just as easily be burned away._

_Bonnie eventually came to join them, and told her that the spell was done. Caroline drained the rest of her goblet, then asked her to gather the rest of them. Soon enough, the remainder of the original family, and Anna, were gathered in one room._

_"I'm moving on. Going to Rome. You may stay here, if you wish, but you will not do so with my protection. You are welcome to return to me, but I am done with France. It is no longer safe for us. I suggest you all come with me."_

_Damon and Elena looked at each other, and Jeremy and Anna moved towards them. So, that's how it would be. "I won't force you to come with me, but just know, you will regret this. I do not forget betrayal lightly."_

_"I'm coming with you, Caroline," Stefan said._

_Bonnie was silent, and she looked over at her. "I'm tired, Caroline. Take me with you, but I want to rest once we are there."_

_Caroline nodded at her, then looked at the other half of their group. "So that's it then?"_

_"Caroline, we can't just leave. We like it here," Elena started, and Caroline shook her head._

_"Are you daft, Elena? People talk. The eight of us? We do not grow old. We do not get sick. We have no children. People disappear. Regardless of what the humans think, word travels. We simply must move on. Staying here is a death sentence. We never should have stopped here when we left England."_

_"We were happy in England, Caroline!"_

_"We were in danger!"_

_"Always with this danger, Caroline! Why are you so paranoid? No one is going to harm us! We're invincible!"_

_Caroline shook her head sadly at Elena. Poor, sweet, innocent Elena. She didn't know how to live in a world that all of the attention wasn't on her. Caroline had played that game long enough._

_"You mark my words, sister," she practically spat that word. The two of them, along with Bonnie, had been sisters for as long as they had been alive. "I will not forget this. One day, you will see that I tell the truth. And you will learn, in that time, to fear me."_

.:| The Honorable Nobleman |:.

He had seen her from afar, but this would be the first time that he would talk to Katherine Pierce, face to face. The entire idea shook him to his very core. While Elena and Tatia had looked the same, at the end of the day, they were still very different. Their hairstyles, dress, and mannerisms had always been different. He had always been able to tell them apart.

But Katherine, born a thousand years later, was still just like his Tatia. She wore the same large, beautiful curls, and her smile was identical, with the way her eyes flitted around the room, and even the way she spoke. Everything about Katherine screamed Tatia to him, and it hurt deep down in his soul. He thought that he had moved on after being without her for so long, but one smile from her, and all the pain had returned.

Tatia had never been an easy wife. They fought, and argued. She threw her past lovers in his face and refused to stop her flirting. It never mattered, though. She was his wife, and he had loved her wholeheartedly. He kept telling himself that Katherine wasn't Tatia and this wasn't his second chance, but it certainly felt like it. Caroline would dagger him in a heartbeat if he ever voiced his thoughts.

Now, he was going to see this new doppelganger. Elijah had called and requested that they discuss the sacrifice itself and needed his assistance in telling Katherine all about what was going on. The girl had no idea about the truth behind the supernatural, which was shocking to Stefan, given that her boyfriend was a vampire hunter. Did they truly think that her ignorance would protect her? Ignorance was fatal.

It was a short drive over to the Mikaelson mansion, where he was supposed to be meeting the pair. Stefan had mentioned the meeting to Caroline while on his way out the door, but she had waved her hand and remained in her large arm chair, staring at the fire. Something was on her mind, so he would just handle all of the little details. His friend would likely only scare the girl anyways. That meeting could be held at a later point.

As he pulled up to the mansion, he knew something was wrong. Elijah was on his phone inside, leaving a voice mail, begging for an answer. He knew that the youngest two Mikaelsons were at school and the rest were at work, and he could sense no other being inside of the house. He got out of his car and walked up to the door, only to have it pulled open before he reached it.

"She's gone!" Elijah yelled, and brushed his hands back through his hair.

Stefan raised an eyebrow slightly, then looked down at the man's clothes. Dress pants, dark dress shirt, and a suit jacket. He was far better dressed now than he had been a few days earlier, when he had just been wearing a long tshirt and jeans. He almost didn't look like a peasant anymore. "I am assuming you mean Katherine?"

"Yes!" Elijah yelled, punching the buttons on his phone again. "She was supposed to be here half an hour ago and she called when she left her house, but I haven't heard from her since."

"You mean to tell me she has been missing for thirty minutes and you didn't think to notify me?"

"Well, she does this sometimes. Disappears without a sound for a day or two. She likes her freedom. But, she knew how important this meeting was, and that she wasn't safe anymore."

Stefan chuckled a little. Sounded like Tatia. "It's the Petrova in her. They cannot be controlled, no matter what you do."

The two men eyed each other, and Elijah shook his head. "No, something's wrong."

"How about we start by going to her house? Come, Elijah. We shall find your little girlfriend." Stefan also had a nagging feeling something was wrong. Perhaps he should have dragged Caroline out with him today. She was the best at finding missing Petrovas.

.:| The Never Forgotten Past |:.

_The year was 1329._

_"Caroline, they didn't know how bad it was!"_

_"How bad it had gotten? Bloody hell, Stefan, they're calling it a MASSACRE! They are lucky that I was in Scotland for David's crowning a few days before. I had to run all the way to the open water and take the first ship across, and then spent two weeks cleaning it up. It still took me another week to track him down, and when I find him, they're HIDING HIM from me."_

_"He is her little brother," Stefan tried to point out, but Caroline slammed her hand into the wall. She ignored the crunching of the bones, the dust of the brick, and the pain that shot up her arm. It would heal soon enough, and walls could be replaced._

_"And he has endangered us all. It's because of that handmaiden he has been fucking."_

_"Anna is his wife, Caroline. You must accept that she is now one of us."_

_"I can still rip her heart out, so she is not one of us."_

_Stefan sighed, and Caroline resumed her pacing. Jeremy was laying still on the table, dagger sticking out of his chest. Elena and Damon were in similar states, laying dead on the ground. They had had their fights, but never had she broken their necks as an actual form of punishment._

_"If he were anyone else, Stefan, his body would already be ripped to shreds."_

_"But he is an Original, and not even that will fully kill him."_

_Caroline knew that was the truth and continued to pace. "For being his wife, the girl certainly managed to disappear quickly."_

_"She is frightened of you, Caroline."_

_"And for good reason! I'm going to rip her heart out of her chest the next time that I see her." Her hand had already healed, and now she was swinging another punch at a wall. The pain felt good as it flowed up her arm._

_There was a groan coming from one of the two bodies on the floor, and Caroline flashed over to Damon and broke his neck again. She had no patience for Damon Salvatore. Any trust that she had in him was broken the moment he had left her bed and told her that she simply wasn't a Petrova._

_Stefan did not even rise from his chair as she broke his brother's neck. Caroline and Stefan were far closer than Damon and Stefan were. They travelled the world together, explored together, learned together. Never once had Stefan tried to use their friendship against her, and never had he betrayed her. The day he betrayed her would be the day she finally and truly died._

_"How much longer until Elena awakens, do you think?" she asked, staring down at Elena's unmoving body._

_Elena would be the reason he would one day betray her. When it was just the two of them- sometimes joined by Bonnie- Stefan live a carefree life. But whenever Elena was around, it all changed. He tried to stop drinking human blood altogether, but would then lose complete control. One look at her brown eyes, so alike yet so different from Tatia's, and everything in him would shift._

_Elena brought Stefan pain, and now, Elena had betrayed her._

_"If, and I repeat, if Elena apologizes for what she did, I will forgive her. Otherwise, I have a dagger that I will gladly shove through her heart."_

_"And Damon?"_

_"He will share in her punishment. I will not have him trying to undagger her at every turn. He also chose to protect Jeremy."_

_Stefan nodded, and Caroline turned and stared at the body. How had it come to this? When she had stumbled across the daggers, she had never thought that she would actually use them. They were more of a toy for her to have in her collection, to show that she defeated the greatest that the witches could send after them. She had survived hell for all of that. And now, she was using them on her family._

_"Wars come and go, Stefan. This one only ended, and Jeremy feels the need to go out and kill more? Another war would have started soon enough. Tensions are high throughout the continent. I encourage us to follow war, because death is all around. Jeremy went too far, Stefan. I know he is your good brother, but he will be daggered for at least fifty years for this."_

_Elena's body began to moan, and Stefan shot forward to get to her before Caroline. He picked the girl up and held her in his arms. When she finally opened up her eyes, she smiled, then glanced around. "What, why is Damon still on the ground? Jeremy?"_

_She was pushing herself out of Stefan's arms and trying to get to her brother's body. Caroline stepped in front of it, then faced down Elena. "Your brother caused a massacre, and then you hid him. What do you have to say for yourself?"_

_"What? No, he didn't mean to. It was only a few people!"_

_"It was an entire village, Elena. He wasn't even doing it for the blood. He killed because he could. And you hid him from me, and tried to stop me from entering."_

_"No!" Elena screamed, and struggled against Stefan, who had stepped up to hold her back._

_"Caroline, give him another chance..." he tried to reason._

_"No! No, I will not! This is the last straw! She has known that things were getting worse, and yet still she refused. Jeremy was warned, and now here we are."_

_"Why, Caroline? He is a Vampire! What is so wrong with him enjoying blood?"_

_"He put a mark on us, Elena. We are now all in danger."_

_"It's always about you, isn't it? Always about your paranoia, and always about what you want from each of us."_

_Caroline flashed forward and ripped Elena out of Stefan's arms, slamming her down onto the table. Elena tried to struggle out, but Caroline was far stronger. She was always stronger. "Now you listen here, Petrova bitch. You think it is all about me? Allow me to display the facts."_

_She picked Elena up slightly and slammed her back onto the table, causing Elena to look up in fear. "When you started a war, you sent for me, and I came. When you left Damon, each and every time, I opened up my home to you. When you were attacked, I came to you, and I took revenge for you. When the Hunters came, I undaggered you, and took all of the deaths upon myself. When you turned off your emotions, I helped you turn them back on. You have always been weak and pathetic, relying on others, and yet I always came for you, when you asked."_

_Elena's eyes were wide and she no longer fought against Caroline, but she was already on a roll. "So, I shall list to you the few times it has been about me. When our home was attacked, I forced us all to move on. When Tyler left me, I requested your companionship and you denied me. When I gave you advice, you ignored me. And when I told you that Jeremy was getting worse, I begged you to come and help him. You instead chose to dismiss every letter I sent."_

_Caroline picked Elena up by her neck and walked her over beside Jeremy's body, where two more daggers were laying. Elena saw them and tried to struggle, but Caroline already had her pinned back on the table. "So, Elena, when I came to you, and asked where your brother was, you lied to me. Never once have I used our friendship against you. I have been there for you, always and forever, but never once has it been about me. And now, you won't be able to leave again. Sleep well, Elena."_

_She sunk the dagger into her chest. Stefan said nothing as he laid Damon up on the table beside her, and Caroline repeated the move on him. The house was quiet afterwards, as Caroline and Stefan drank bloodied wine while they stared at the fire. Both had relaxed into rather large chairs._

_"Why do Damon and Elena always go back to each other?" Caroline asked after a little while. She had been wondering this for many years, but now seemed an apt time to ask. They brought out the worst in each other, it seemed._

_"Because they love each other," Stefan said, and drank more of his wine._

_"They constantly fight and betray each other, and yet they always end up together."_

_"It's because they find strength in their love, Caroline."_

_She shook her head slightly and spoke after taking another sip of her wine. "No, Stefan. They are strong because they are vampires, and they are weak, because they love."_

.:| The Lone Pup |:.

Another late night doing research led to Klaus being exhausted in the middle of his shift. His current mission was to find coffee, and fast, but as he turned down the last street of his route and drove by the Pierce house, he had to slow down. Something was wrong. Katherine's car door was wide open and there was a gray van driving rather quickly away from the house.

What the hell was going on? He immediately pulled his phone out of his pocket and hit the speed dial for Elijah as he tried to keep up. The van was fast, but he was faster. Why the hell wasn't he driving his normal Sheriff's vehicle today? No, he had to insist on driving his truck, that had no emergency lights in it.

Elijah finally answered. "Brother, I'm having a bit of a crisis here. Now is not the time."

"Does it have anything to do with Katherine?"

There was silence for a moment, and then he heard Stefan Salvatore's voice. "Did he just say Katherine?"

Elijah took in a deep breath, then said, "If you know where she is, then tell me now."

"I think I just came across someone kidnapping her. I'm following the vehicle now."

"Where the hell are you?" Stefan yelled into the phone.

"About to turn South onto 29. Anyone want to fill me in on what's going on?"

"We should call Caroline," Stefan said.

Elijah growled out, "No! No calling Caroline! She'll insist that we can't protect her."

"Uh, hello?"

"Yeah, just keep following the vehicle and call us when you turn off. We're on our way," Elijah said, then hung up the phone. Klaus looked down at it for a moment, then shook his head as he kept following the speeding van.

.:| The Never Forgotten Past |:.

_The year was 1502._

_"WHAT DID SHE DO?" Caroline bellowed at Stefan as she walked into the rooms at Ludlow Castle. Her hair was a tangled mess and her dress was dirty and ripped in a few places. "You do not send me a letter saying that the heir to the English throne is dead by Elena's hand and then refuse to give me an answer!"_

_Elena was on the floor with her neck broken while Stefan was flinching back in fear. She could hear the guards running down the hallway, coming towards the sound, but she gave it no care. "Caroline, allow me to do the spell first."_

_"Then bloody do it while I deal with these guards."_

_Bonnie began working on performing a privacy spell, her own clothes and hair as destroyed as Caroline's, while Caroline stepped into the hallway and compelled all of the men to leave. They all turned and went about her business, and when Caroline stepped back into the room, she slammed the door shut and turned to Stefan, who was on his knees, his face in his hands._

_"Now you tell me what she did, Stefan, or so help me god, I will use your body as firewood for the next hundred years."_

_He looked up at her, tears running down his face. "We didn't mean for this to happen, Caroline. We were only staying for a day before continuing on to meet you and Bonnie in Scotland, but Elena saw the Prince and couldn't resist."_

_"That was almost a year ago. In that time he was married. You cannot tell me she continued this tryst after he was married. I helped to FORM that alliance. I'm the one that SUGGESTED the betrothal!"_

_Caroline was fuming now, ready to rip someone's head off. She should have let the guards come in to disturb them. Her body was overwhelmed with anger. The full moon had risen while she ran from Stirling Castle near the heart of Scotland all the way to Ludlow, near the Welsh border. On nights like this, her entire body needed a release of it's power and energy. But she couldn't have it. Not while she was still cursed._

_"You don't understand, Elena. Damon refused to come back to her, so she wanted to prove that she could have whoever she wanted. She didn't even have to compel him - he knew and he didn't care. Catherine didn't know about the relationship at all. I thought it would be alright. I thought-"_

_"You thought wrong. You told me that the situation was under control when I asked why you had not joined us yet. You told me that she was flirting with a few noblemen. You told me that no one knew you were Vampires. You LIED!" As she yelled the last word, she backhanded him across the face. Blood came out from where one of her rings had struck his cheek, but Stefan didn't rise up against her._

_"Caroline, if we are going to return to Scotland before we are missed, then we need to leave soon." Bonnie had finally spoken up, and Caroline nodded to her._

_"Of course, Bonnie. You are correct. Will you go secure travel for our belongings from here to the castle near the border? I won't take them all the way back to court."_

_Bonnie's eyes went wide as Caroline began pulling a few items out of the bag that she had brought with her. When Caroline had heard the news, she had grabbed a small bundle from the bottom of her trunk and ran as she was, still wearing her court finery. Bonnie hadn't realized until that moment that the bag held the White Oak Ash and two daggers._

_Stefan was staring at her in shock as well. "No, Caroline, I beg of you, not that."_

_Caroline's eyes thinned as she looked down at Stefan. Her teeth clenched as she spoke. "Finish your story."_

_Stefan bowed his head again, knowing that there was likely nothing he could say to save himself from the dagger. He had hated the twenty years he had spent in a coffin, but it had been necessary after he had become a full ripper._

_"Catherine caught her drinking from Arthur in bed. She was furious. We tried to compel her to forget, but it didn't work. She is somehow on vervain. We locked her in the room with Arthur, and told the court that they were both ill. Arthur was worried about what would happen to his wife, and Elena realized then that he was only with her because of the supernatural, not because he loved her. She... she flipped, Caroline."_

_"What happened," Caroline spat out at his pause._

_"She killed Arthur before I could blink. I was able to stop her from killing Catherine. The vervain was almost out of her system by then, so I compelled her to forget. I compelled the entire court while Elena sat with his body. She lost it, and flipped the switch entirely. She couldn't handle it."_

_Caroline was shaking with rage. Elena had flipped the switch and killed the crown prince because he didn't love her? Elena was in love with Damon, and yet she flipped the switch when a passing toy didn't love her? "Pathetic."_

_She took one of the daggers off the table and dipped it in the ash, then walked over to Elena's body. She sunk the dagger in, then felt Stefan behind her, trying to pull her off. Caroline whirled around on him and backhanded him again. Stefan had actually tried to stop her from daggering Elena._

_"You and I have danced along this line many times, Stefan Salvatore, but never have you crossed it. I expected better of you."_

_She shook her head at him, furious that he had actually stood against her. He was betraying her. Betraying her for a girl that was endangering them all. And she saw in his eyes that Stefan clearly had feelings for Elena. When had his love for Tatia shifted to her twin?_

_"You and I, we speak of love throughout the centuries, well let me tell you something."_

_She pointed down at Elena's body, furious, with her vampire details out in full force. She was craving blood, and the next human to walk through that door would be her meal._

_"THAT is what happens when you care about Love. She was foolish enough to believe herself so, and craved that he love her back. This is what I have told you, time and again. Love has broken your precious Elena."_

_Stefan nodded his head. Caroline was right. Not being loved had caused Elena to turn the switch off on her humanity._

_"And now, you love Elena so much that you are willing to betray ME! Your oldest friend! The person that has stood by you throughout eternity. That helped you when you lost control. That has comforted you when you were alone. I am the one person that has never left your side when you needed me, and yet you still chose your precious Elena."_

_Caroline shook her head, furious, and she saw that Stefan was looking up at her with heartbroken eyes. It was as though the reality of it was settling in. That he had put Caroline and himself second to his love for someone that would never treat him right._

_She stepped over to the table and picked up the second dagger. She dipped it into the ash and swirled it around for a minute, then stepped around in front of Stefan, who had sunk to his knees. He looked up at her, his lips moving but nothing coming out. He was a broken man, and she was too distraught to fix him._

_As she spoke to him, she pushed the dagger into his heart. "Love is a Vampire's Greatest Weakness, and we are not weak. We do not feel, and we do not care."_

.:| The Honorable Nobleman |:.

Stefan pulled up outside of the warehouse that Klaus had directed them to. There were two vehicles out front, with one of them containing Klaus. He and Elijah both hopped out of his own vehicle and Klaus stepped from his, and the three men met in the middle.

"Why haven't you gone in?" Elijah demanded, and started towards the house. Klaus grabbed his arm and stopped him, then looked to Stefan.

"I think he's a Vampire."

"You think?" Elijah asked.

Stefan eyed him and shook his head slightly. "Very few have daylight rings. What would make you think he was a Vampire?"

"He was completely covered from head to toe in clothing, with no bit of skin showing... and then he flashed into the house with her."

Stefan raised an eyebrow at that. Who would dare be stupid enough to risk the daylight?

His phone rang, and he looked at it, but didn't recognize the number. He hit end call and slid it back into his pocket. He could always call them back later.

"Alright, well I guess I shall go in and retrieve Katherine. You two stay out here."

Klaus shrugged a little - clearly the man didn't care for the girl - but Elijah immediately put up protest. His phone rang again and Stefan glanced at it. Same number again. He hit the end call, then glared at the raging hunter.

"I am far stronger than whoever is inside that house. I can easily retrieve her for you. You will only get in the way. Getting in my way can result in bloodshed. Perhaps hers. Perhaps yours."

The phone rang again, and this time, Stefan answered it.

"Who is this, and what do you want?"

"Stefan? Stefan Salvatore?"

He recognized that voice... but he couldn't quite place it. "Yes?"

"I... I need your help."

"Then you have called the wrong number."

"No! It has to do with Caroline."

Stefan had been ready to hang up the call, but any mention of Caroline immediately caught his attention. "I'm listening."

"I... I need to make a trade. Have her remove the compulsion on me, and I'll give her what she wants."

"How could you possibly know what she wants? Who is this?"

"It's... it's Trevor. And I have the doppelganger."

Stefan lowered his phone from his ear and stared at the house. Trevor? Trevor Pantene? And he had the doppelganger. This was much more serious than he had thought.

"Do not move," he spat into the phone, then hung it up.

"What? Who was that?" Elijah asked, but Stefan ignored him. He quickly dialled her number into his phone, and after two rings, she answered.

"Caroline? We have a problem."

.:| The Queen of the Heartless |:.

Caroline pulled up in front of the warehouse in her Range Rover, and stepped out. All three men turned to look at her, and she could tell the Mikaelsons were impressed with her ride. As if that was the most important thing right now. She looked over Elijah and raised an eyebrow.

"Copying our Mr Salvatore, I see?" He looked down at his clothes, then shrugged. She gave him a coy smile. "It almost hides how pathetically human you are."

She let her eyes graze over Klaus, then looked at Stefan. "You said there was a problem, and that I needed to get here as fast as possible. What is it?"

"Katherine was kidnapped!"

Caroline turned to look at Elijah and raised an eyebrow at him once more. She was getting a real face workout, just dealing with the man. "Was I speaking to you?"

"Katherine was indeed taken, Caroline. She is inside the warehouse now, with a Vampire."

She shrugged a little, looking at him as if it was none of her concern. "And you needed me to help you get her out... why?"

"It's Trevor."

Every part of Caroline's body was calling out for her to flash into the building and rip off Trevor's head. She had warned him to never contact her and to never be within a hundred miles of her, on pain of death. Now, he had her doppelganger and wanted to make a trade? All she saw was red.

"Caroline, think about this before you act."

Caroline turned her head to look at Stefan, and half considered punching him for his words. Not in front of the humans. She would chastise him for interrupting her at a later time. How dare he tell her to think before she acted? Trevor deserved nothing but death, and she would rip the heart from his chest the moment she stepped inside the building.

"You have to find out how he learned about the sacrifice, and who else he told."

She gritted her teeth together as she stared at him, and her fists clenched together. The veins scrawled across her cheeks rose slightly, but she took in a deep breath and brought it all back down. She practically spat at him, "Answers first, then I kill him."

Stefan nodded his head and she began walking towards the building. The hunter and the werewolf were following her, only a pace behind Stefan who was a pace behind her, but she had no patience for their questions at the moment. She had a past lover to deal with.

She kicked the door down as she reached it and stepped inside, her body practically humming from the power it radiated. She looked around and saw and heard nothing but a faint heartbeat beneath her. He had hidden her somewhere below. She could smell the blood. He had harmed the doppelganger in some way.

"Trevor! Trevor, where the bloody hell are you?"

She heard a sound come from her right and she spun towards it, her eyes searching. In the shadows stood a lone vampire, with a very worried look on his face. "How... how did you find me? How did you get here so fast? Stefan, I did not mean bring her here."

Caroline stepped forward, then paused in her steps. Trevor had no daylight ring, and the door was now kicked off it's hinges. She smirked at the thought. He could hide in the shadows for a moment. "Did you truly think I did not know where the doppelganger was? She was already in my possession, and you took her from me."

Trevor was shaking and she could smell his fear. She let a smile slide across her face and stepped backwards, into the sunlight. "Come here, Trevor. If you want to make a deal with me so badly, then come to me."

He shook his head, watching her, and she flicked her eyes over to Stefan, who stood in the doorway with the Mikaelsons behind him. Stefan flashed over to the man grabbed him by the back of his neck, then brought him within a hair's breadth of the sunlight. Trevor was clearly shaking now, and Caroline stepped forward, to caress her finger over his cheek.

"Hello, Trevor," she whispered, looking into his eyes. Those eyes, filled with fear, had once tricked her into thinking they were filled with love. Her fingers touched him, so tenderly, and Stefan released his hold on Trevor's neck. The man didn't pull away or try to run. He knew better. "How long has it been now?"

"Two hundred and eighty-three years," he whispered out, and she gave him a sad smile.

"And how many people have you killed?" she asked softly, the coldness cutting through her gentle words.

"Four hundred seventy-two."

She smiled at him, and leaned forward to whisper into his ear, "Your punishment was not nearly enough."

Her hand moved to wrap around his throat and she turned to slam him into the ground. The stone cracked and he began to shriek, the sunlight hitting his exposed face, burning him. Her hand was still wrapped around his neck so he couldn't move out of it, but she pushed him forward, away from the sunlight, letting his body slide away from the doorway. She stepped forward, a stalker after her prey, and she picked him up once more by his neck and broke it, then dropped him back down to the ground in the shadows.

"Find the doppelganger," she said coldly, stepping over the body and moving towards a chair in the room that Trevor had slid into. "Find her and bring her to me. Then we shall have a talk."

.:| The Lone Pup |:.

Klaus had no idea what was going on. One minute, Katherine was kidnapped, and the next, they were all standing in a warehouse with an unconscious vampire, two calm Originals, his impatient brother, and a missing bitch. He nodded at the Originals, who were looking at them expectantly, and grabbed Elijah by the front of his jacket. "Come on, you idiot. We need to find her."

Elijah was still staring at the body on the ground, but Klaus grabbed his arm and jerked him towards the stairwell to go upwards. They could work from the top down. He couldn't hear anything but that didn't mean they wouldn't find her.

"Down, Sheriff Mikaelson," came the cool voice of Stefan Salvatore.

Klaus turned to look at the two Originals, and saw that Caroline was currently sitting in a chair with her feet propped up on top of the unconscious Vampire's head, as if he was a foot stool. She raised an eyebrow at him, as if asking why he was staring, and he closed his mouth.

"You want to go downstairs, Sheriff. I can hear her heartbeat coming from below us."

Klaus looked over to Stefan, who had spoken again, and nodded his head. Elijah was already running down the stairs and Klaus followed him. It took a few minutes to find her, but she was tied to a chair with her wrists bleeding from struggling against the bonds and a gag in her mouth. He stepped forward and cut both binds and Katherine flew into Elijah's arms, asking what was going on. They had a lot of explaining to do.

Klaus left the two down there while Katherine sobbed and returned upstairs to the Originals. They were both sitting there, with Stefan playing on his phone and Caroline watching the man in front of her. She looked up as Klaus walked in and nodded to them both. "We found her."

"Good," Stefan said, not looking up from his phone. "Protect her, this time. I doubt I can convince Caroline to allow her her freedom a third time."

Klaus looked over at Caroline, who had crossed one leg over the other and then crossed her arms over her chest. It almost looked as though the Original was pouting, but he knew better. She was simply trying to hide her true feelings.

"We'll take her home then," Klaus began, but Caroline shook her head and pointed at three chairs that were lined up beside hers.

"Sit," she said, and he looked at Stefan, waiting for him to say something. Stefan didn't look up from whatever he was doing.

Elijah and Katherine came up the stairs and Katherine asked who they were, but the two Vampires said nothing. Elijah led Katherine into the room and Stefan beckoned to the two chairs. They sat down and Katherine looked around for a moment, then looked down at the man on the ground. Caroline's boot was still pushing down on his head.

"He'll wake up in a few minutes," Caroline said, her eyes locked down on him.

"Who was he? Why did he attack me?" Katherine asked.

"It's because of your family," Elijah said gently. "You see, you have a blood line that goes back very far and is... well it's tied to some dark things."

Stefan snorted in his chair, and Caroline groaned a little. The three humans looked at them, waiting to hear them say something, and Caroline back at them. "You're talking to her like a child, hunter. Just tell her the simple facts."

Elijah nodded and took her hand gently. Klaus had once held that hand. It was disgusting to think about. What had he ever seen in Katherine Pierce? "There are supernatural things, Katherine. Have you ever heard of Vampires?"

Caroline burst out laughing. "Hunter, you are just about as useless as you are stupid."

Katherine looked over at Caroline, her eyebrow raised in silent question.

"Alright, girl, let me tell you what is going on. Vampires exist, and they were made with blood. Petrova blood. Blood which flows in your veins, as you are the doppelganger of the original Petrova. This man kidnapped you to sell you to me in exchange for his freedom, but the thing is, we already knew where you were. The Mikaelsons knew the truth, as your boyfriend here is a Vampire Hunter. They were to keep you safe until the sacrifice."

The girl's jaw dropped and Klaus couldn't blame her. It had all come as a shock to him at first as well. "Vampires aren't real!"

The veins on Caroline's face rose up and he saw her fangs elongate. It felt like forever since she had last shown him the beauty that was now in front of him, and he ignored Katherine's gasp. It all faded away after a moment, and Caroline sat back with a grin. "They're very much real, sweetheart."

Katherine was shaking beside him and was gripping his arm with one hand and Elijah's with the other. He shrugged her off and looked at Caroline, who was staring intently at him.

"What do you mean sacrifice?" Katherine asked.

"Well, you won't actually die, love. You see, your beloved hunter, and my idiot brother-" she pointed her hand to Stefan, who had clenched his jaw at the mention of him, "-have worked out a deal that you won't actually die."

"And if I refuse?" Katherine asked bravely, and Caroline grinned at her.

"Refused me and I will kill everyone you love, and then I will kill you."

Katherine laughed then, and Klaus turned to look at her like she was stupid. Well, she was stupid. He tried to explain. "She already turned Kol."

"What are we still doing here," Elijah asked, and Caroline smiled at them, then looked at the man beneath her foot. Klaus realized that the man was starting to move slightly. His neck looked to be back in place.

"You're going to see what happens to people that betray me," Caroline said, and kicked her foot into the side of the Vampire's head.

.:| The Queen of the Heartless |:.

Trevor was finally starting to move, and Stefan returned his phone to his pocket. Caroline said nothing as Stefan rose from his chair and stood over the vampire. She was patient, watching as the man she had once taken to her bed popped his neck back and forth, trying to get out the annoying crick that came with having your neck snapped. She had felt it a time or two herself.

"Trevor," Stefan said, helping the man to his feet. Trevor was looking around in shock, and his eyes settled onto Caroline. There was no emotion on her face as she watched him. She could hear the hearts of three racing beside her, but she ignored it. They had to learn what happened to those that broke deals with her.

"My Lord," Trevor said, bowing his body slightly towards Stefan. "I have waited a long time for this day."

Stefan nodded his head slightly. "Your betrayal came as quite a shock to us all."

Caroline kept her face completely clear, and Trevor looked over at her for a moment, then looked back at Stefan. He dropped to one knee suddenly, his head bowed. "Forgive me, my Lord. I never meant to betray you or your family. I am truly, very sorry."

Stefan stood there silent, and finally Trevor looked up. Stefan was looking down at him, and when their eyes locked, Caroline saw Trevor's eyes expanding slightly. Compulsion. "Tell the truth, Trevor. What were your intentions with my family?"

"To become a Vampire," he said, unable to lie.

"And your feelings for the Lady Caroline?"

"They were all a lie."

Caroline raised an eyebrow at Stefan, who turned to look at her. She shrugged her shoulders a little. "You did not believe me. I told you, but you did not believe me."

Stefan glared at her for a moment, then turned back towards Trevor.

"And your intentions in kidnapping Katherine Pierce?"

"Using her to make a deal for my freedom from Caroline?"

"Freedom?"

"From the compulsion she placed on me. She compelled me to kill anyone that gave me any kindness or I felt anything good towards."

Caroline smirked her in chair as Stefan turned to look at her. "Four hundred seventy-two, he said. I'm a little surprised. Of all the punishments I've given, this was far from the worst."

"She also made me unable to drink the last drops of blood and unable to turn off my humanity."

Caroline snorted a little at that, laughing. She had forgotten that part of the compulsion. Stefan was now glaring at her, and she shrugged. "He pissed me off, Stefan. He was using me!"

Stefan still glared at her, and she pursed her lips together for a moment. She knew what he wanted to say, but another conversation for once they were at home. "Just get on with it."

"Please, forgive me, my Lord," Trevor said, bowing his head once more.

"Stand up," Stefan said, and Trevor did so.

"Do you know why the Original Family has lasted a thousand years?" Stefan asked. Trevor looked at him oddly for a moment, then shook his head no. "It is because, even at the worst of times, we are loyal to each other. It is why, when you hurt one of us, you hurt all of us."

Trevor nodded his head a little, and Stefan stared at him for a moment. "We welcomed you into our home. Fed you from our table. Shared our secret with you. I treated you like a brother, and Caroline allowed you into her bed. For all intents and purposes, you were part of the family. Where was your loyalty?"

It had been a long time ago. Trevor had come to them, seeking help with werewolves, and in turn, he became part of their lives. They had turned him after a few years, and that was when the problems had begun. Caroline had finally compelled him and found out the truth. That the man she was finally letting her walls down for had only wanted to become a Vampire, and was now looking for a way to run.

"I beg your forgiveness," Trevor said, his voice trembling.

"So granted."

Trevor's eyes went wide, and he looked to Caroline. She smiled at him softly, then flicked her eyes over to Stefan, who was looking at her. They stared at each other for a moment, and she nodded her head slightly. Stefan nodded his head back and looked at Trevor, who was now eyeing them both.

Stefan's hand whipped up at Original Vampire speed, and one sick chop, Trevor's head was on the ground, and his body was falling in front of them. Caroline didn't even blink, but Katherine screamed out, Elijah jumped back, and even Klaus flinched. Stefan was pulling a napkin from inside his jacket and cleaning the blood from his hand.

"I got blood on my sleeve," he said, and Caroline looked over at him.

"You could have rolled up your shirt sleeve," she said, shaking her head slightly.

"That would cause wrinkles, Caroline."

She rolled her eyes sliding and pushed herself up from the chair, then bent over Trevor's body to grab his phone from his pocket. She tossed it to Stefan. "Call Rose. I'm sure her number is still in there. I want her around when Damon reawakens."

Stefan nodded and pocketed the phone to contact Rose after they left the warehouse, but then Caroline turned back to the three sitting there staring at the dead body. She turned back to Stefan to dismiss him. "Go ahead. I shall meet you back at the mansion."

He nodded and she turned back to the Mikaelsons and her future sacrifice. "Do you understand now?"

.:| The Lone Pup |:.

Caroline was staring at them, and Klaus stared back, his jaw clenched. Katherine was shaking beside him, but Klaus ignored her and stood up from his chair. "So, what, he used you, and so now you killed him?"

Caroline smiled at him and shook her head slightly. "He knew the punishment should he try to approach me, or any of the Originals. He paid the price for his betrayal now."

"And what about he said? About the compulsion?"

Caroline gave him a cruel smile, and he felt his heart stop.

"Let me tell you a story, little boy. In 1721, a man, a young Lord, came to my family and begged for our help in dealing with werewolves. We liked the man, so we let him live and know our secret. In the next three years, he became like a brother to Stefan, a friend to Damon and Tyler, a teacher to Elena and Bonnie... and he became my... my..."

She seemed to be struggling for the right word. "My compagno di letto, my concubitor, my bedfellow. He was, in essence, my lover of the decade." She shrugged it off, as it was no big deal. How many lovers had she had over the centuries, that she shrugged off the death of one so easily. "We eventually turned him, but then he began to act strange. As its turns out, he had only come to us because he wanted to be turned."

Caroline was now looking down at the man and shook her head slightly. "I did not love him, if that is what you think, but I did enjoy him. He was a welcome part of our group, but he betrayed us. He went to hunters and told of our location, then fled in the night. I hunted him down for two years, and when I finally reached him, I compelled him to kill anyone that gave him any sort of kindness or that he felt any affection for. I also placed a ban on him being able to kill himself, ask anyone to do it for him, to be able to drink the last few drops of someone's blood before their death, and made it so he could not turn off his humanity."

A cruel smile spread across her face as she looked up at him, and Klaus knew then that his head had stopped beating. "You do not betray me and live. So this is my warning to you. Give me what I want, and your family will be free. Betray me, and you will all become nothing."

She turned on her heel to leave, but Klaus moved after her. He knew there was more to her than that. There was a heart in her, that loved and cared. Why was she being so cruel? His hand grabbed her arm, and she turned abruptly to grab him by the throat and shoved him up against the wall. He was unable to breathe more than a few gasps, but her grip did not tighten. The veins were out, her eyes were black, and the fangs had descended.

"Do you see this?" she hissed at him. "Do you see my face? This is not a face of light. This is not the face of goodness and beauty. This is the face of death."

He knew then that she had seen his sketch of her vampire face, but he made no movement or sound in response. She loosened slightly, then resumed her hold and pushed him further into the wall. "I am not some beautiful angel that you can draw, and then in turn one day save. I am power and death. Do not attempt to touch me again, child."

She released her grip completely and he fell to the floor, then watched her turn and leave. She was beautiful as she stormed out, and he couldn't help but want her. There was so much more to Caroline Forbes than anyone realized.

* * *

**AN :**

**First things First : I'm upgrading this to M. I was kidding myself to think I could avoid it, and I should have bumped it up after the last two chapters. I'm sorry if that bothers anyone.**

**Betas : a-little-blonde-distraction, livingdeadblondegirl, and hybridlovelies. Seriously, the most amazing girls ever!**

**I am so sorry I have been gone for so long. It wasn't that I dropped this or anything. I got really sick, and then my roommate had her baby, and then I've been sick again. I'm sick now. So, to reward you all, a giant chapter. The next chapter is already outlined and I'm starting on it in a few hours.**

**Tumblr, people, and twitter. melanoradrood. Same username in both places. If you have a question, I can answer it there!**


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